2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball Bearcats break six-game skid
Issue date: 4/22/04 Section: Sports
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Comment on this article Media Credit: Mandy Waller Freshman infielder Spencer Wilkins gets ready for practice earlier this week. |
In the first game, the 'Cats were held to three hits in a 6-2 loss to the 'Dogs. Junior outfielder Jason Hines led SBU offensively with a double, two walks and a run scored.
Game two of the series saw SBU grab a 2-0 first inning lead on a double by freshman shortstop Kevin Miller and a two-run home run by Hines. After the promising start, the 'Cats saw the contest go to the 'Dogs as TSU used a four-run fourth and four-run fifth to take the game 8-5. Hines again led SBU offensively with two hits, three runs batted in and a run scored.
In game three, SBU built up an early 4-0 lead after a Hines homer in the first and a three-run second. TSU then came back to tie the game at 4-4 with two runs in the second and single runs in the third and fifth. In the top of the seventh, Hines hit his second home run of the game and ninth of the season to give the 'Cats a 5-4 lead, but the 'Dogs had the final say, scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning in a 6-5 TSU triumph.
Among the significant highlights of the game was the pitching of junior lefthander Dustin Childress. Named the MIAA's Player of the Week earlier this year, Childress broke SBU's school record for strikeouts in a season, striking out six TSU batters in five innings. With a school record 82 strikeouts, Childress surpassed the previous record of 80, which was held by current SBU assistant coach Jeff Abbott. Sporting a record of 8-3 this season, Childress is now set to challenge the SBU record for most wins in a season (9).
"Since we were so focused on playing the game, we didn't realize that Dustin had broken the record until the game was over," SBU Head Coach Sam Berg said. "He's just a good pitcher - one of the best in the MIAA."
Taking on the Miners of the University of Missouri-Rolla in an April 20 MIAA doubleheader, SBU suffered its season-high sixth consecutive loss in a 10-0 three-hit shutout.
Falling behind 1-0 in game two, the 'Cats bats came alive, scoring five runs in the third, three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth as SBU pounded UMR 9-3 in a five-inning, darkness shortened game. SBU junior first baseman Caleb Stark and senior outfielder Nathan Dunn each had two hits, two RBI's and a run scored as the 'Cats raised their record to 16-29 on the season and 5-15 in the MIAA.
Coming up next for the 'Cats will be two nationally-ranked MIAA opponents in Northwest Missouri State and defending MIAA and NCAA Division II College World Series Champion Central Missouri State. SBU will host 30th-ranked Northwest in a single nine-inning game at 3 p.m. today, April 23 and will also take on NWMSU in a 1 p.m. Saturday, April 24 doubleheader. On Tuesday, April 27, the 'Cats will host Central in a 2 p.m. doubleheader. All games will be played at SBU's Dodson Field.
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