May 4, 2008

Box Score

GREELEY, Colo. - On the final day of baseball at Jackson Field for 2008, the Northern Colorado baseball team split a doubleheader with Texas-Pan American, falling 11-5 in game one before bouncing back to win 16-6 in seven innings in game two. In last night's game, the Bears won the 1400^th in school history and move to 17-31 on the season, surpassing last year's total number of wins in seven fewer contests. Texas-Pan American is now 18-31 in 2008.

 

In the first game, Northern Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Both Mike Raudenbush and Erik Whinery singled and were moved up 90 feet on a perfect sacrifice bunt down the third-base line by freshman T.J. Berge.  Raudenbush scored on a groundout by Jeff Horn.

 

Texas-Pan American scored three runs each in the third and fourth frames to lead 6-1 and added one in the seventh and one in the eighth for a 9-1 advantage. The Bears scored two in the bottom of the eighth but both teams scored two in the ninth for the final of 11-5.

 

In the eighth, Cory Morales doubled with two outs and then Chad Murray and Kevin Sandberg both walked to load the bases and two scored on a single through the left side by Erik Hegstad. In the ninth, Berge and Tony Andenucio both walked with one out and advanced one bag on a single by Andy Mees. Both Berge and Andenucio scored on a single by Morales, but the Bears could get no more home.

 

Mees had another good game at the plate, going 3-for-5, while Morales was 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored.

 

Jon Klausing started the day on the hill for the Bears, throwing six innings. He allowed six runs (five earned) on 13 hits, walking just one and striking out four. Jason Banks pitched two innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts and Matt Buck was the hurler for the final frame, giving up two runs on one hit with one base on balls and one strikeout.

 

Broncs pitcher Cody Cisper pitched the entire nine innings (5-5), throwing 157 pitches. He gave up five runs on eight hits, walking six and striking out five.

 

The 14 seniors were honored between the games, as the parents joined the student-athletes and coaches along the first base line.

 

Senior Adam Symons was in the starting lineup as the designated hitter after getting the cast on his left arm removed earlier in the week, but was pulled prior to his first at bat for Sandberg. Head Coach Kevin Smallcomb did his best to get all of the seniors into the action throughout the day as nine different seniors played in game one and TEN were in the lineup for the second contest.

 

The Bears put three on the scoreboard in the first inning of the second game. With one out, both Morales and Murray drew walks. After a flyout by Sandberg, Raudenbush singled to score one and then he and Murray both scored on a double by Whinery.

 

The Broncs got two runs back in the third inning on a two-run homer by Bonham Hough, but in the bottom of the fourth, Morales blasted another double over the right fielder's head to score Anthony Garcia and Sean Zyer and extended the lead back to three, 5-2. A single by Murray scored Morales and then Murray came home on the 11^th home run of the season by Sandberg, giving the Bears the 8-2 lead.

 

The Bears had nine batters come to bat in both the fourth and fifth innings, plating five in the fourth and three in the fifth.

 

Pitcher T.R. Keating retired nine in a row from the third to the fifth before allowing a single to lead off the sixth. He gave up four consecutive hits in the sixth, allowing six runs on eight hits for six innings. Senior right-handed pitcher Sean Peery came into the game in the sixth inning to tie the school record for single season appearances with 24, knotting Tyler Pearson from 2006.

 

UTPA scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to close within five, 11-6. The Bears offense remained hot in the sixth as 11 came to bat.

 

Garcia singled to start the frame and then with two outs, Mees hit his fourth long ball of the year. Immediately after Mees crossed the plate, the sprinklers behind home plate kicked on, delaying the game for a few minutes until they were shut off. Morales then hit his third double of the day and scored on a single up the middle by Murray. Back-to-back singles by Sandberg and Raudenbush plated Murray and a Whinery single scored Sandberg for the five runs in the sixth.

 

Senior right-handed pitcher Dan Kazell retired the side in the seventh to give the Bears the 1,401^st win in program history. Keating allowed six runs on 10 hits, walking none and striking out five, while Peery threw one frame, giving up just one hit, walking one and striking out one and Kazell struck out one in the minimum three batters faced.

 

The Bears have 11 days off before their next contest as they turn their attention towards final examinations. Northern Colorado closes its regular season with a three game series at New York Institute of Technology and will then compete in the Independent Tournament in Edinburg, Texas From May 21-24.