Tigers split Sunday doubleheader

Monday, April 16, 2007
David Morefield delivers a pitch during the ninth inning of DePauw's first game with Oglethorpe Sunday. Morefield pitched one scoreless inning to pick up the win, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Staff reports

Jack Gavin's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth scored Jon Newman for the game-winning run in DePauw baseball's 6-5 SCAC victory in game one of Sunday's doubleheader. Oglethorpe took game two, 8-6.

DePauw is 22-14 overall and finished the SCAC regular season 11-5. Oglethorpe is 10-28 overall and 5-10 in conference. The Tigers advance to the SCAC Divisional Playoff in which they will face Southwestern in a best-of-three series at USA stadium in Millington, Tenn., April 20-22.

Gavin drove in Drew Holy in the second on a groundout, and Taylor Hoffman doubled home Justin Weiner. Holy added an RBI double in the third and scored on Gavin's base hit. Chris Newman's fifth-inning single to left scored Jeremy Dickinson to make the DePauw lead 5-0.

In the fifth, Oglethorpe trimmed the margin to 5-3 with a Brendan Pilger RBI-single and a two-RBI hit from Andrew Llano. The Stormy Petrels tied the score in the seventh as Tim Ernst led off with a walk then moved to second when Pilger reached base on an error. Llano then doubled to right, which scored Ernst.

After an intentional walk to Robert Pevelka, Oglethorpe tied the game with J.J. Rizzo's single to right center. Tiger reliever Paul Rodenhouse, who entered the game in the sixth, then struck out the next three Stormy Petrels.

DePauw loaded the bases in the seventh, but couldn't get a run across, and the game went to extra innings. Each team left two on in the eighth, before Oglethorpe's Chris Lucas doubled in the ninth then moved to third on a groundout. Steven Archer then lined the ball to left, but DePauw's Matt Kleine made a diving catch to end the threat.

Jon Newman led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, and advanced to third when a pickoff attempt from the Oglethorpe catcher went into right field. Gavin then sent the game-winning flyout to deep right.

Holy and Adam Ford each had two of DePauw's 10 hits, while Gavin drove in three. Pilger and Llano each had three hits for the Stormy Petrels, while Rizzo added two. David Morefield improved to 2-0 after pitching a scoreless ninth. Ernst dropped to 0-1 after entering the game in the sixth.

In the nightcap, Oglethorpe got all it needed with seven runs on six hits in the second inning.

DePauw came back with four in the fourth as Matt Fritz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Sam Linette drove in two with a single. Eric Reese drove in Fritz with a fielder's choice.

The Tigers got to within one in the fifth when Ford scored on a Fritz groundout and Weiner came home on a Linette single. Oglethorpe, however, added an insurance run in the sixth when Ernst scored from second on a Llano single. DePauw left two on in the sixth and loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Ernst entered to get the final two outs.

Weiner and Linette each had two of DePauw's eight hits, with Linette driving in three. Llano led the Stormy Petrels with thee hits followed by Ernst, Pevelka and Matt Anderson with two each. Tim Greenfield upped his record to 4-4, while Matt Westernkirchner fell to 3-1. Ernst recorded his first save.

At DePauw

Game 1

Oglethorpe000 030 200 -- 5 13 2
DePauw022 100 001 -- 6 10 2

W -- Morefield

L -- Ernst

2B -- Llano, Lucas (OU), Klein, Holy, Hoffman (DPU)

3B -- Holy (DPU)

Game 2

Oglethorpe070 001 0 -- 8 11 5
DePauw000 420 0 -- 6 8 1

W -- Greenfield

L -- Westernkirchner

Sv -- Ernst

Next game -- The Tigers begin a three-game series with Southwestern in the divisional round of the SCAC tournament April 20 in Millington, Tenn.

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