This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-2-01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-2-01

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 2
• Golf at 2001 Amoco Ultimate Intercollegiate (Jacksonville, Ala.)

Tuesday, April 3
• Golf at 2001 Amoco Ultimate Intercollegiate (Jacksonville, Ala.)
• Baseball at Savannah Sand Gnats (Exhibition), 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 4
• Baseball vs. Greensboro College (DH), 1:00 p.m.
• Softball vs. North Florida, 2:00 p.m.
• Women's Tennis at Francis Marion, Noon
vs. UNC Pembroke, 3:00 p.m. (@ Florence, S.C.)
• Men's Tennis at Francis Marion, 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 5
No Events Scheduled

Friday, April 6
No Events Scheduled

Saturday, April 7
• Baseball vs. Columbus State (DH), Noon
• Softball vs. Georgia College & State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at Florida Southern, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 8
• Baseball vs. Columbus State, 1:00 p.m.
• Softball vs. Georgia Southwestern, 1:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at Rollins, 1:00 p.m.

Baseball (24-13 Overall, 7-11 Peach Belt Conference)

The Pirates were swept over the weekend by No. 8 Kennesaw State University in a three-game PBC series. KSU won the first game on Saturday, 10-4, then took Sunday's doubleheader, 9-8 and 7-1.

The Pirates were down 9-3 in the ninth inning of the first game on Sunday but rallied with five final-frame runs and had the tying run on third base but could not even up the score. Chris Boaen hit his second home run of the season and Matt Easterwood went 3-for-5 with three RBI in the game for AASU.

In the second game, KSU starter Brad Basham limited the Pirates to just one unearned run in six innings to complete the weekend sweep for the Owls. Boaen and Stacey Bennett each picked up two hits for the Pirates.

This week, the Pirates visit Grayson Stadium for a three-inning exhibitiongame against the Savannah Sand Gnats on Tues., April 3, then host Division III opponent Greensboro College on Wed., April 4 in a pair of seven-inning games at 1:00 p.m. This weekend, AASU hosts No. 16 Columbus State for a three-game PBC series at Pirate Field with a doubleheader at noon on Sat., April 7 and a single game at 1:00 p.m. on Sun., April 8.

Softball (20-6 Overall, 3-3 Peach Belt Conference, No. 7 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll)

The Armstrong Atlantic State softball team ascended to No. 7 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll last week, but lost three of four road Peach Belt Conference contests over the weekend.

The Pirates lost two one-run games to Augusta State on Saturday, 3-2 and 2-1 (9 innings). A three-run third inning gave the Jaguars the win in game one, while the Pirates led, 1-0, in the seventh inning of the second game but ASU tied the game with a single run and then scored the winning run in the ninth inning.

On Sunday, the Pirates were hammered in game number one, 8-0, but rebounded to take a 5-3 win in game number two. The three consecutive games lost by the Lady Pirates were the most since the end of the 1999 season.

This week, the Pirates host the University of North Florida on Wed., April 4 at 2:00 p.m., then host Georgia College & State on Sat., April 7 at 2:00 p.m. and Georgia Southwestern on Sun., April 8 at 1:00 p.m.

Men's Tennis (11-4 Overall, 5-2 Peach Belt Conference, No. 4 ITA Division II Rankings)

The No. 4-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team, dropped two of three matches on the week, losing at No. 16 North Florida, 6-3, and losing to No. 8 Lander, 6-3. AASU defeated Florida Gulf Coast in a non-conference match, 6-3, on Friday.

The Pirates dropped two of three doubles matches at North Florida on Wednesday, then could only win two singles matches against the Ospreys. AASU rebounded with a 6-3 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Friday, snapping the Pirates' two-match losing streak.

On Saturday, however, the Pirates could not follow up on last season's regular-season win over Lander. AASU – the only school to ever beat Lander in PBC play – dropped all three doubles matches against the Senators and split the six singles matches, losing 6-3.

This week, AASU travels to take on Francis Marion in PBC action on Wed., April 4 at 2:00 p.m., then the Pirates step out of conference for matches at Florida Southern and Rollins on Sat., April 7 (2:00 p.m.) and Sun., April 8 (2:00 p.m.).

Women's Tennis (Women: 12-3 Overall, 7-1 Peach Belt Conference, No. 8 ITA Division II)

The No. 8-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team picked up a 6-3 win over No. 5-ranked North Florida on Wednesday afternoon in Jacksonville, Fla.

Despite losing two of three doubles matches, the Lady Pirates won by taking the top five singles matches. Zsofi Golopencza, ranked No. 6 in the latest ITA singles rankings, defeated No. 4-ranked Julia Hartner, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 1 singles.

The Lady Pirates wrap up their Peach Belt Conference schedule with two matches on Wed., April 4 at Francis Marion. AASU faces Francis Marion at Noon and also takes on UNC Pembroke at 3:00 p.m.

Golf

The Armstrong Atlantic State men's golf team finished in 12^th place at the GC&SU Bobcat Invitational on Tuesday, improving from 18^th place after the first day.

AASU finished the three-round tournament with a 947 total, 83 shots over par and 47 strokes behind team champion West Florida (900, +36). Florida Southern (902, +38) came in second while Columbus State (907, +43), host Georgia College & State (913, +49) and Valdosta State (915, +51) rounded out the top five. Twenty-one teams took part in the tournament.

Freshman Bill Faith (Dalton, Ga.) shot rounds of 79 and 77 on Tuesday to place as the Pirates' top finisher. Faith finished 20th with his three-day total of 230, 14-over-par.

Freshman David Roger (Glasgow, Scotland) tied for 38th individually after second-day rounds of 73 and 78 to finish at 236, 20-over-par. Freshman Thomas Whittaker (Holmes Chapel, England) carded rounds of 79 and 75 to finish tied for 73rd overall with a 244 total, 28-over-par. Travis Kelly (Savannah, Ga.) fired rounds of 75 and 84 to finish tied for 80th overall at 246, 30-over-par, while Andrew Suggs (Fayetteville, Ga.) rounded out the Pirate scoring by shooting rounds of 82 and 81 to finish tied for 83rd with a total, 31-over-par.

The Pirates are next in action on Monday, April 2 and Tuesday, April 3 at the 2001 Amoco Ultimate-Young Oil Intercollegiate, hosted by Jacksonville State University.

- Pirates -