Julian fires complete-game three-hit shutout, as Screaming
Eagles stay alive
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (May 28,
2007) - Southern Indiana University, ranked
13th in this week'sse Collegiate Baseball
magazine Division II poll, eliminated fifth-ranked Franklin Pierce
with a 3-0 victory in game seven of the 2007 NCAA Division II
Baseball Championships at Riverwalk Stadium this afternoon.
Southern Indiana (42-22), which set
a new single-season program record for victories with the win,
advances to face the loser of tonight's game between fourth-ranked
Columbus State University (49-18) and 11th-ranked Angelo
State University (51-18) tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. (EST). Franklin
Pierce sees another record-breaking season come to a close after
posting a program-record 49-11 mark after claiming the Northeast-10
Conference regular season (26-4) and tournament titles and winning
the NCAA Northeast Regional for a third time (second-straight).
"We did great things and we really
had a great season," said Head Coach Jayson King.
"I don't think (losing two-straight) takes anything away, but man
every time we come down here we want to do better and better. Some
day we are going to break through and give the Northeast a title
and that's kind of what we're shooting for. It just didn't happen
this
year."
Southern Indiana junior lefthander
Cory Julian (Lynnville, Ind.) stymied the Franklin
Pierce offense with a complete-game three-hit shutout to earn his
program-record matching eighth win of the season (8-3). He struck
out eight and walked just one over the nine innings.
Junior Garrett Oros
(Aurora, Ill.) was the lone hitter of the game with
multiple hits as he finished 2-for-3 with a double. Sophomore
Alex Thieroff (Greenland, Ind.) was 1-3 with a
stolen base and two RBI, while classmate Chad Werry (New
Harmony, Ind.) chipped in with a 1-3 effort, a stolen base
and RBI. Junior All-American Darin Mastroianni
(Huntersville, N.C.) was 1-3 with three steals and a run
scored.
Junior All-American Keith
Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge) suffered the loss
for Franklin Pierce on the mound (6-3), allowing three runs, two
earned, on eight hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in
six-plus innings of work. Three of the eight hits and two walks
came in a two run bottom of the first off Renaud, who settled down
after that, but the damage was done.
"I started off slow and that cost
us the game," said Renaud. "I tried everything I could to keep us
in the game. (Julian) spotted his fastball really well. When we
were looking outside, he'd bust you in and the defense played real
well behind him."
Senior Kim Hart (Gorham,
Maine/Gorham) was 1-for-3 for the Ravens in his final
collegiate contest, while freshman Kevin Rivers (Bristol,
Conn./Bristol Eastern) also finished 1-3. Junior
Kevin Renaud (Southbridge, Mass./Southbridge)
added a hit to extend his hitting streak to 15 games.
Southern Indiana got all the runs
its would need in the bottom of the first as a pair of singles and
a walk loaded the bases with two out off Keith Renaud. Thierhoff
came through with a two-run single to center before Renaud escaped
the jam with a strikeout.
Mastroianni, who came within a
stolen base of tying the NCAA Division II Tournament record for
steals in a game, nearly single-handedly created the Screaming
Eagles insurance run in the fifth. He drew a one out walk, stole
second and advanced to third when the throw to second caromed off
his helmet and into shallow center to allow him to advance to
third. Werry came through with a two-out single through the left
side to drive Mastroianni in.
Julian was perfect through four
before Rivers broke through with a one-out single in the fifth. The
Ravens best opportunity came with the bases loaded in the sixth,
but with two out. Sophomore Scott Savastano (Plymouth,
Mass./Plymouth North) flew out sharply to center to end
the threat. The out started a string of ten-straight retired
batters for Julian to end the contest.
"We couldn't realty get the bats
going today," said King. "We hit some balls hard with runners on,
but in general (Julian) did a nice job and kept us off the board. I
tip my cap to him, he did a good job."
Boxscore
& Play-by-Play
