Thursday, March 30, 2006

Cougar GameDay program

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

Photo gallery

FORT WAYNE -- Freshman Tony Drysdale ripped a game-winning single for an 8-inning, 6-5 University of Saint Francis win in Game 1 on a perfect weather day for baseball. The Cougars fell behind and scratched back in Game 2, but fell a run short when the comeback bid fizzled in the bottom of the seventh.

  The Cougars are 7-17 overall, 3-5 in Mid-Central Conference action. USF plays host to WHAC-member Concordia University (Ann Arbor, Mich.) on Friday, March 31, for two games starting at 1 p.m.

  Drysdale smashed a curve from Nick Schmutte with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to score Jason Beer from second base. Beer worked Schmutte, on in relief, for a one-out walk and advanced to second on a Berto Nunez sacrifice bunt.

  "It felt really good to do something to help the team considering I was like 1 for my last 10 at bats," a smiling Drysdale said after his game-winning hit. His hit made a winner out of  pitcher Matt Degitz, another freshman who gave the Cougars 3 2/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief. Degitz came on to replace starter Mike Ybarra, who went 4 1/3 innings and gave up five runs, three earned. He left with shoulder tightness.

   "Mike battled, kept us in the game, and Matt came in and did what he had to do," USF coach Greg Roberts said. "We did a good job of working counts and cashing in on some opportunities. We had chances in Game 2, but just didn't take advantage as often as we needed to to get the win. Bart pitched well enough to win."

   Freshman right-hander Bart Schnur was the tough-luck loser on the mound for USF in Game 2. Kevin Kulcher pitched the first six innings for the Knights to pick up the win.

-- GO USF --