Lewis-Clark State, Kentucky, and NIU pick up wins

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FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES

Lewis-Clark State 8 Gonzaga 5

SPOKANE, Wash. (http://www.gozags.com May 12, 2008) Junior Ryan Wiegand recorded three hits and his 60th run batted in of the season Monday night as the Gonzaga University baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to Lewis-Clark State College at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field in Spokane.

Gonzaga (28-21) used six pitchers in the contest, as starter Cory Powell (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on five hits over the opening three innings. Brandon Harmon, AJ Proszek, Matt Fields, Jeremy Stumetz and Cody Martin each put time in on the hill for the Bulldogs. LCSC (51-5) starter Ryan Woods (8-1) took the victory, allowing one unearned run on five hits over 6.0 innings of work.

The Zags took the early lead in the game, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. Evan Wells led off the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a one-out walk to Drew Heid. Wells reached third on a Warrior fielding error before scoring on a ground out by Marcus McKimmy.

Lewis-Clark State gained the lead in the top of the third, with a pair of runs. Paul Martin walked to open the inning, before being plated on a double to left center by Kyle Greene. The next batter, Ikaika Lester, doubled down the left field line during the next at-bat to plate Greene.

The Warriors extended their lead in the fifth, scoring two to bring the score to 4-1. Lester drew a walk to lead off the frame, before advancing to second on a single by Brian Ward. Lester came across to score on a single by Josh Ashenbrenner. The single also advanced Ward to third, before he catcher came around to score on a passed ball.

LCSC extended its lead to 6-1 in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run home run by Bernard Pena.

The Bulldogs rallied in the seventh, scoring two runs to close the gap to 6-3. Following a walk to Wells and single by Jason Chatwood to lead off the inning, Heid singled to left to load the bases for Wiegand. Wiegand singled to right, recording his 60th RBI of the season, moving him into seventh in the single season ranks. Chatwood advanced to third on the single, before scoring on a ground out by McKimmy.

Lewis-Clark capped scoring in the eighth inning with the Warriors’ second two-run home run of the game.

In addition to Wiegand, Heid recorded multiple-hits in the contest with a pair of singles. Wells’ saw a 21-game hit streak snapped in the game, but continued his streak of safely reaching bases in the past 24 contests.

Gonzaga will wrap up the home slate of the 2008 schedule Tuesday, as they welcome Washington State University to Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field. First pitch will be at 6 p.m. as Reedy Berg is expected to get the starting nod for the Zags.

Kentucky 4 Murray State 3

PADUCAH, Ky. – Keenan Wiley tied the game in the top of the ninth inning with a two out, two-run double and Chris Wade singled home the game-winning run in the top of the 10th, as the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats used three unanswered runs in the final two innings to come-from-behind for a 4-3 win over Murray State, in front of a school-record 1,651 fans at Brooks Stadium.

Wiley came up in the top of the ninth inning with two out and runners on first and second, ripping a first-pitch offering into the left-centerfield gap, scoring Wade and Bryan Rose from first, tying the game at 3-3. Wade went to the plate with the game-winner in the top of the 10th, ripping a single through the left side and scoring Collin Cowgill from third for the difference.

Wade led UK at the plate, with a 3-for-5, one run, one-RBI performance. Cowgill finished 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Wiley’s two RBI was a game-high, going 1-for-4. Ryan Wilkes extended his hit streak to eight games with a 1-for-4 game.

With UK needing a solid pitching performance in the ninth inning, the Wildcats turned to Scott Green, who struck out all six of the batters faced, picking up his sixth win of the year.

Paducah natives Clint Tilford and Brock Wright earned starting assignments with Tilford getting the pitching nod, going five innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Mike Kaczmarek worked two innings, not allowing a runner and striking out two. Logan Darnell allowed the Murray State third run, in one inning, walking the run.

All of Murray State’s runs came on lead-off walks, getting five hits in the game.

Kentucky (39-14) returns to action on Thursday in the final Southeastern Conference series of the year, hosting Ole Miss on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Murray State (20-27) reliever Anthony Stacy took the loss, going 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and three runs, striking out five.

UK got the 10th inning started with a quick out, before Cowgill singled up the middle and Brian Spear hit into a fielding error in right field, moving Cowgill to third on a heads-up play. After Tyler Howe struck out, Wade singled through the left side, scoring the game-winning run.

In the ninth, UK got a one-out single from Wade and Rose drew a walk. Wiley ripped a first-pitch double in to the gap, scoring the hustling Rose from first.

Murray State got on the board in the second inning, getting a lead-off walk to take a 1-0 lead. Tyler Owen walked to lead off and Andrew Cella ripped a single into the left-centerfield gap, allowing Owen to move to third. Elliot Frey scored Owen, hitting into a fielders choice.

Cowgill evened up the game in the bottom half of the fourth, working a three-ball count and drawing what appeared to be ball four, as the outfielder began running to first after a pitch appeared to miss high at the letters. Home plate umpire Joe Lewis called it a strike, sending Cowgill back to the plate for the full-count offering. Cowgill tied the game up on the next pitch, belting a high fastball towering over the fence in left field for his 18th home run of the season, a light-tower shot.

Murray got a run in the eight, taking a 3-1 lead after Darnell walked the leadoff man, who came around to score on an infield single from Wes Cunningham.

NIU 7 Northern Iowa 4

DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois spotted Northern Iowa a 2-0 lead but scored the game’s next six runs and claimed a 7-4 triumph Monday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field. The win moved the Huskies (24-23) above the .500 mark for the first time this season in their final regular season non-conference contest.

“I thought today was an important win for us after yesterday’s game was lost to weather and with our players going through final exams right now and having to work around that,” said head coach Ed Mathey. “Our hitters did a good job today and we had a good approach. Our pitches threw well and overall we are playing pretty well and hopefully we can carry that into this weekend’s series with Western Michigan.”

After falling behind 2-0 on a two-run home run by UNI’s Brandon Douglas, the Huskies responded in their first at-bat with a pair of runs to knot the game. Bobby Stevens (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep), who reached base by being hit by pitch, came in to score on a RBI single by Justin Behm (Downers Grove, Ill./North). Two batters later, a sacrifice fly by Danny Reed (Lindstrom, Minn./North Iowa Area CC) plated Jordin Hood (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich).

Northern Illinois took its first lead of the game in the second on a sacrifice fly by Stevens that scored Nick Badgley (McHenry, Ill./McHenry CC).

Two innings later, Stevens doubled home Marvin Sanchez (Chicago, Ill./Clemente Academy), who had reached on a walk.

The Huskies loaded the bases in the fifth and extended their margin to 6-2 behind RBI singles from Dave Reynolds (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg), scoring Behm, and Badgley, plating Matt Behren (Elmwood Park, Ill./Holy Cross).

Northern Iowa trimmed its deficit to two in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Almonte and a RBI single by Dane Embury that made the score 6-4.

The Huskies added an insurance run in the eighth when Reed was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to force home Stevens.

Brandon Copp (Aurora, Ill./West) earned the win (2-6) in the start and Andy Deain (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge) collected his ninth save of the season. Matt Jernstad (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) tossed three perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts.

Anthony Maziur (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) had a career-high two hits and was joined by Behm and Reynolds with multi-hit outings. Stevens and Reed led the Huskies with two RBI a piece.

Mike O’Leary (2-4) took the loss for Northern Iowa (28-20), who enters the final weekend of the regular season in fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

NIU resumes MAC play Thursday with a 3 p.m. game against Western Michigan at Ralph McKinzie Field. The Huskies, second in the MAC West, and Broncos will also play Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. to wrap up the regular season schedule.