This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-8-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-8-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 8
• Softball vs. Augusta State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Golf at Southeastern Collegiate (Valdosta, Ga.)

Tuesday, April 9
• Baseball vs. Valdosta State, 3:30 p.m.
• Men's Golf at Southeastern Collegiate (Valdosta, Ga.)

Wednesday, April 10
• Softball vs. Kennesaw State, 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 11
• Men's Tennis at Clark Atlanta, 2:00 p.m.

Friday, April 12
• Men's Tennis at Morehouse, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 13
• Softball at Lander, 1:30 p.m.
• Baseball vs. USC Spartanburg, 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 14
• Baseball vs. USC Spartanburg (DH), 1:00 p.m.
• Softball at USC Spartanburg, 2:00 p.m.

Baseball (29-13 Overall, 7-11 Peach Belt)

The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball squad captured its first Peach Belt Conference series in four tries by taking two of three games at Francis Marion over the weekend. AASU won Saturday's game, 12-4, then took the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, 9-3, but Francis Marion took the final game, 8-2.

In Saturday's game, senior catcher David Harriman hit a two-run home run to snap a 4-all tie in the top of the seventh inning and help propel the Pirates to the 12-4 win. Harriman's home run extended his hitting streak to 40 games, while junior Mike Roga pitched seven innings, giving up eight hits and four runs while striking out six to improve to 9-3 on the season.

Sunday, the Pirates pounded out 18 hits in game one to defeat the Patriots, 9-3. Harriman and sophomore Ryan Chromek each collected three hits and Chris Dentler hit a home run in support of senior Brian Allen, who limited the Patriots to three runs - none earned - while striking out 11 to pick up the win. In the second game, Francis Marion starter Erin Jones limited the Pirates to just six hits and one earned run in defeating the Pirates, 8-2.

Harriman's season-long hitting streak was snapped in Sunday's second game as the Pirates' catcher went 0-for-3 in the seven-inning affair. His 41-game hitting streak is tied for the second-best all-time in DII history, behind Craig Sizemore of Lenoir-Rhyne (46) and tied with Jason Jones of Kennesaw State (41). Both of those streaks, however, carried over from the previous season, meaning that Harriman's streak is the longest single-season hitting streak in DII.

This week, the Pirates will host 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 (28-3, 8-2 Peach Belt, No. 2 NCAA Division II)

The AASU softball squad split four Peach Belt Conference games on the week, dropping a doubleheader at No. 13-ranked North Florida on Thursday, but rebounding to sweep Francis Marion on Saturday.

The Lady Pirates traveled to Jacksonville and dropped back-to-back 2-0 decisions to the Ospreys on Thursday as North Florida one-hit the Pirates in game one, then allowed five hits in the second game for the sweep. UNF has won six straight against the Pirates over the last two seasons.

AASU rebounded on Saturday to sweep Francis Marion, 6-0 and 5-2, as senior Annie Sells hurled her 12^th career no-hitter in game one, then came back in game two to hit the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning and hurl two innings of one-hit relief for the save. Sophomore Stacey Richardson also homered in support of Delaney Warrian, who pitched three innings of shutout relief to pick up the win.

This week, the Lady Pirates will host Augusta State on Monday, April 8, at 2:00 p.m., then host No. 12-ranked Kennesaw State on Wednesday, April 10, at 2:00 p.m. AASU then hits the road for two more Peach Belt Conference doubleheaders on Saturday, April 13, at Lander at 1:30 p.m., then on Sunday, April 14, at USC Spartanburg at 2:00 p.m.

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

The No. 18-ranked AASU golf team finished seventh at the Amoco Ultimate-Young Oil Intercollegiate, held at the Silver Lakes Golf Club in Glencoe, Ala., on Monday and Tuesday.

The Pirates finished the two-day tournament with an 895 total, 31-over-par and 30 strokes behind team champion Austin Peay State University, which won the tournament by one stroke over host Jacksonville State University. AASU was just one of two NCAA Division II teams in the predominantly DI tournament.

Freshman Ashley Loyd led the Pirates after a final-round 71 to tie for 20th individually with a three-round 222 total, six over par. Freshman Jonathan Cox finished next for the Pirates after a final round of 72 to tie for 32nd individually with an eight-over-par 224 total. Freshman Nick Cowper tied for 43rd with an 11-over-par 227 total. Sophomores Clay Best (228, +12, T46th) and Travis Kelly (234, +18, T63rd) rounded out the Pirate scoring.

The Pirates will be next in action at the Southeastern Collegiate, hosted by Valdosta State, on Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9.

Men's Tennis (9-10, 4-3 Peach Belt, No. 19 NCAA Division II)

The No. 19-ranked AASU men's tennis squad split two matches at the White Sands Invitational, hosted by the University of West Florida, over the weekend.

The Pirates lost to top-ranked BYU Hawaii, 5-0, on Friday afternoon, but rebounded to defeat Delta State, 6-3, on Saturday morning to improve to 9-10 on the season.

The AASU men's tennis squad will hit the road next week as they travel to the Atlanta area to face Clark-Atlanta and Morehouse in road contests as they tune up for the all-important Peach Belt Conference championships in two weeks in Jacksonville, Fla.

Women's Tennis (18-3, 10-0 Peach Belt, No. 1 NCAA Division II)

The top-ranked AASU women's tennis squad won two of three matches at the White Sands Invitational, hosted by the University of West Florida, over the weekend.

In a much-anticipated matchup between the top two ranked teams in DII, No. 2-ranked BYU Hawaii defeated the No. 1-ranked Lady Pirates, 5-1, on Friday. Zsofi Golopencza and Michaela Kratochvilova picked up a doubles win over the No. 2-ranked team in the country, but AASU could not get any more points off of the Seasiders.

Saturday, the Lady Pirates rebounded to defeat No. 21-ranked Delta State, 5-1, then on Sunday, AASU knocked off No. 9-ranked Ouachita Baptist, 7-2.

The Lady Pirates are now off until the Peach Belt Conference Championships in Jacksonville, Fla,, on April 18-20 at the University of North Florida. AASU will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

- Pirates -