This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-15-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-15-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 15
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, April 16
• Baseball at Valdosta State, 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 17
• Softball at Georgia College & State, 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 18
• Men's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Women's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Friday, April 19
• Men's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Women's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Softball at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Greenwood, S.C.)

Saturday, April 20
• Baseball vs. Kennesaw State, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
• Men's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Women's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Softball at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Greenwood, S.C.)

Sunday, April 21
• Baseball vs. Kennesaw State, Noon
• Men's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Women's Tennis at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Softball at Peach Belt Conference Championships (Greenwood, S.C.)

Baseball (32-14 Overall, 10-11 Peach Belt, No. 26 Collegiate Baseball DII)

The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball team dropped an 8-7 non-conference game to Valdosta State on Tuesday, but rebounded over the weekend to sweep a Peach Belt Conference series from USC Spartanburg to climb to within one game of .500 in the conference.

On Saturday, junior Mike Roga limited the Rifles to six hits and three run in six innings, while the Pirates sent 12 batters to the plate in a seven-run third inning to defeat USC Spartanburg, 13-3. Roga won his 10^th game of the season, just the 16^th time in school history that a Pirate pitcher has reached double-digit wins in a single season.

Sunday, the Pirates scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break open a tight ball game and take the first game of a doubleheader, 8-5. Senior David Harriman collected three hits, and junior Andrew Moss hurled four innings of shutout ball to pick up the victory. In the second game of the doubleheader, junior Josh Smith and sophomore Zach Shelnutt combined to scatter seven hits and shut out the Rifles, 1-0. Sophomore Chris Dentler's sacrifice fly in the fifth proved to be all the offense the Pirates would need in the game.

In the NCAA Division II national statistics released on Thursday, the Pirates figure prominently in the report, ranking seventh as a team in batting average, 20^th in ERA and 17^th in fielding percentage. Harriman ranks ninth in home runs and RBI, while Roga is third in victories and Shelnutt is tied for 17^th in saves.

This week, the Pirates will travel to Valdosta State in a non-conference tilt on Tuesday, April 9 at 3:30 p.m., then AASU will host USC Spartanburg in a Peach Belt Conference series beginning on Saturday, April 13, at 3:00 p.m. and ending on Sunday, April 14 at 1:00 p.m. with a doubleheader.

Softball (33-3, 13-2 Peach Belt, No. 6 NCAA Division II)

The AASU softball squad ran its winning streak to seven with five wins on the week, improving to 33-3 overall and 13-2 in the Peach Belt Conference.

Senior Annie Sells fired a one-hit shutout to defeat Augusta State, 8-0, in Monday's first game, then Diana Corwin hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to snap a 3-all tie and defeat the Jaguars, 4-3, in the second game.

The Pirates then swept a doubleheader on Saturday at Lander, 8-0 and 13-0, as Sells fired her 13^th career no-hitter in the first game and Delaney Warrian hurled a two-hit shutout in the second game. Sells went 6-for-7 in the doubleheader as well, while Stacey Richardson launched a grand slam home run.

Sunday, the Pirates defeated No. 23-ranked USC Spartanburg, 6-0, in a rain-shortened game. Sells again fired a shutout, while Richardson and Corwin each hit home runs for the Pirates.

This week, the Lady Pirates will travel to Georgia College & State University on Wednesday, April 17, for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against the Bobcats, then AASU will head back to Greenwood, S.C., for the Peach Belt Conference Championships on Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21.

Men's Golf (No. 18 NCAA Division II)

The No. 18-ranked AASU golf team fired a season-low 290 in the final round to finish seventh at the Southeastern Collegiates, hosted by Valdosta State University, on Tuesday afternoon.

The Pirates finished the tournament with a three-round total of 899, 35-over-par, and the -round 290 represents the best single round that AASU has shot this season as a team. Rollins College captured the team title by nine strokes with an 876 team total, 12-over-par.

Sophomore David Roger led the Pirates individually with a final-round 72 to finish tied for 18th overall with a 222 total, six over par. Freshman Ashley Loyd fired a final-round 71 to tie for 22nd individually with a 224 total, eight over par. Sophomore Clay Best shot a final-round 74 and tied for 30^th individually with a 228 total, 12 over par. Freshmen Jonathan Cox (234, +18) and Nick Cowper (234, +18) each tied for 48th individually to round out the Pirate scoring.

The Pirates will be next in action at the Peach Belt Conference Championships, hosted by Kennesaw State University, from April 22-23 in Kennesaw, Ga.

Men's Tennis (10-10, 4-3 Peach Belt, No. 20 NCAA Division II)

The No. 20-ranked AASU men's tennis squad defeated Clark Atlanta, 9-0, on Thursday in the Pirates' only match of the week. AASU's scheduled Friday match at Morehouse was rained out.

The Pirates did not drop a set in defeating CAU and moving back to .500 on the season with the victory.

The AASU men's tennis squad will compete in the Peach Belt Conference Championships, hosted by the University of North Florida, from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 21 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Women's Tennis (18-3, 10-0 Peach Belt, No. 2 NCAA Division II)

The Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis squad fell to No. 2 in the latest OmniHotels DII Women's Tennis rankings, released last week, but the Pirates will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference Championships in Jacksonville, Fla., on April 18-21 at the University of North Florida.

- Pirates -