FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-9-01
This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics
Monday, April 9
• Golf at Southeastern Intercollegiate (Valdosta, Ga.)
Tuesday, April 10
• Golf at Southeastern Intercollegiate (Valdosta, Ga.)
• Softball at UNC Pembroke, 2:00 p.m.
• Baseball at Valdosta State, 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 11
• Softball at Francis Marion, 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 12
• Women's Tennis at Rollins, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 13
• Women's Tennis at Barry, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at Barry, 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 14
• Softball vs. Columbus State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at Lynn, 2:00 p.m.
• Women's Tennis at Lynn, 2:00 p.m.
• Baseball at USC Spartanburg, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 15
• Baseball at USC Spartanburg (DH), Noon
Baseball (29-13 Overall, 10-11 Peach Belt Conference)
The Pirates went a perfect 5-0 on the week, taking a non-conference doubleheader from Greensboro College, then sweeping No. 14-ranked Columbus State in a three-game PBC series.
On Wednesday, the first seven Pirate hitters singled and scored as AASU took a doubleheader from the Division III Pride, 11-1 in the first game and 12-3 in the second game. Matt Easterwood went 2-for-4 with four RBI in the doubleheader, while David Harriman went 3-for-5 with three RBI.
Over the weekend, the Pirates took the first game of their conference series with Columbus State, 17-12, giving head coach Joe Roberts his 900th career win. In the second game, Ryan Chromek's two-out single scored Chris Boaen with the winning run to give the Pirates a 3-2 win. Sunday, the Pirates escaped with a 5-4 victory on a game-ending double play with one out and the tying run on third base to complete the sweep.
This week, the Pirates travel to Valdosta State for a non-conference matchup with the Blazers on Tuesday, April 10 at 5:00 p.m. AASU then travels to USC Spartanburg for a three-game set with the Rifles beginning on Saturday, April 14 with a 7:00 p.m. game, then a Noon doubleheader on Easter Sunday, April 15.
Softball (23-9 Overall, 4-6 Peach Belt Conference, No. 7 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll)
The Armstrong Atlantic State softball team went 3-3 on the week, dropping a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader to No. 16-ranked North Florida on Thursday, splitting a doubleheader with Georgia College & State on Saturday, then sweeping a non-conference doubleheader with Georgia Southwestern on Sunday.
The Pirates had their 32-game home winning streak snapped on Thursday by the last team to beat AASU at home – North Florida. Gina Ripper's four-hit shutout beat the Ospreys, 5-0, and Nicole Weirauch's two-run home run in game two wasn't enough as UNF took the nightcap, 4-2.
On Saturday, the visiting Bobcats and Michelle Mayne shut out the Pirates in game one,
2-0, but Tesh Wiewel's two doubles accounted for both runs in the second game as AASU pulled out a 2-1 victory to snap their three-game losing streak.
Sunday, the Pirates trounced non-conference foe Georgia Southwestern, 3-0 and 8-0. Weirauch continued her power hitting burst, knocking two home runs in the second game, while Annie Sells added one as well.
This week, the Pirates travel to UNC Pembroke on Tuesday, April 10 at 2:00 p.m., then visit Francis Marion on Wednesday, April 11 at 2:30 p.m. AASU returns home to host No. 3-ranked Columbus State on Saturday, April 14 at 2:00 p.m.
Men's Tennis (12-6 Overall, 5-3 Peach Belt Conference, No. 4 ITA Division II Rankings)
The No. 4-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team lost two straight matches to begin the week - at No. 10 Francis Marion and No. 15 Florida Southern - but rebounded on Sunday with a 5-4 win over No. 9 Rollins.
The Pirates slipped to third in the Peach Belt Conference standings with their 6-3 loss at Francis Marion on Wednesday. Frederik de Beer and Bob Rog picked up the only singles wins for AASU against the Patriots.
On Saturday, the Pirates fell 7-2 at No. 15 Florida Southern, getting swept in the doubles and only picking up two singles wins from Christopher Petersen and de Beer.
Sunday, AASU took a tough 5-4 match from No. 9 Rollins to snap their three-match losing streak. The Pirates took two of three doubles matches, then got singles wins from Petersen, Neil McPhee and Rog for the victory.
This week, AASU tunes up for the upcoming Peach Belt Conference championships with road matches at No. 13-ranked Barry (Friday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m.) and No. 25-ranked Lynn (Saturday, April 14 at 2:00 p.m.).
Women's Tennis (15-3 Overall, 9-1 Peach Belt Conference, No. 8 ITA Division II)
The No. 8-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team clinched second place in the Peach Belt Conference with wins over UNC Pembroke and Francis Marion on Wednesday afternoon, then won their fourth straight match with a win over Presbyterian on Sunday.
The Lady Pirates traveled to Florence, S.C., and blanked the No. 28-ranked Patriots, 9-0, and the UNC Pembroke Braves, 9-0, on Wednesday afternoon. The win clinched second place for the Pirates and the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference championships.
On Sunday, the Lady Pirates hosted No. 30-ranked Presbyterian and defeated the Blue Hose, 7-2, for their fourth straight win.
The Lady Pirates tune up for the upcoming Peach Belt Conference championships with road matches at No. 4-ranked Rollins on Thursday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m., No. 6-ranked Barry on Friday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m. and No. 3-ranked Lynn on Saturday, April 14 at 2:00 p.m.
Men's Basketball
Senior guard Robert Campbell, the two-time Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, was named second-team All-America by DII Bulletin in the magazine's April edition, becoming the first Armstrong Atlantic State basketball player to earn back-to-back All-America honors in 20 years. The Hinesville, Ga., native – who was a preseason All-America candidate by the magazine in October – caps off his Pirate career as AASU's highest All-America honoree since Ike Williams was named first-team All-America by the Associated Press in 1974-75.
Golf
The AASU men's golf team finished tied for eighth at the rain-shortened Amoco Ultimate-Young Oil Intercollegiate on Monday as weather washed out Tuesday's final round.
The Pirates finished at 33-over-par 609, 26 strokes behind champion Columbus State University. Freshman Thomas Whittaker tied for fourth individually after firing first-day rounds of 72 and 73 to finish at a one-over-par 145 total. Whittaker becomes the Pirates' first Top 10 finisher this season.
Freshman Bill Faith finished next for the Pirates, tied for 40th place after shooting rounds of 76 and 78 for a 154 total, 10 over par. Freshman Travis Kelly shot rounds of 79 and 76 on day one and tied for 43rd with a 155 total, 11 over par, while David Roger (79-77=156, +12) and Andrew Suggs (82-77=159, +15) round out the Pirates' scoring.
The Pirates return to action this week on Monday and Tuesday, April 9-10, at the Intercollegiate, hosted by Valdosta State University.
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