Sunday, April 1, 2007

Box Score

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- University of Saint Francis 28, Defiance College 19.

Sunday was April Fool's Day, but the Cougars' score in their third win of the season was no joke. It wasn't slow-pitch softball either, though USF finished with 23 hits, DC 25. Yet neither team hit a home run with a 20-30 mph wind blowing out of the west and southwest.

The Cougars scored what is believed to be a record 28 runs on 23 hits on a windy, most-of-the-game sunny afternoon and senior Josh Widman added more history when he lined a double for his 156th career hit breaking the USF record of 155 career hits.

USF (3-17) trailed 1-0 before they even got to the plate, but the Cougars took control with a run in the first, five runs in the second and 12 in the third inning on six hits and seven walks to lead 18-2. USF pushed its lead to 23-2 with five more runs in the fourth inning. DC (6-12) scored twice in the top of the fifth, but USF scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth for a 27-4 lead.

The game was played by NCAA rules since DC is an NCAA Division III member. Under NCAA rules, there is no '10-run rule after 4 1/2 innings. So the two teams played to a nine-inning conclusion, actually 8 1/2 innings. Sophomore Matt Degitz earned the win pitching the first five innings, but USF needed Brok Lahrman to finish the final 2 2/3 innings after DC scored 12 runs in the seventh inning to slash the Cougars' lead to 27-16.

DC scored seven runs against reliever Cody Casagrande in 1 1/3 innings, though only one run was earned. Pat O'Neil came on for Casagrande, but DC scored five more runs before Lahrman came on. He threw to catcher Drew Linder at home to get the DC runner trying to score from third on a squeeze bunt. The next DC batter grounded to second ending the Yellow Jackets' 12 run, 10 hit, 2 error inning. O'Neil yielded the only walk in the inning that saw 16 Jackets bat.

"What a game," USF head coach Greg Roberts said. "We had some guys learn you have to keep playin' as if it's a one-run game. No question that's quite an accomplishment for Josh. He's worked hard to improve as a hitter every year."

After DC took a 2-1 lead on Lenny Koesters' two-out, run-scoring single to center, USF took the lead for good with a 5-run second. Mike Ybarra tripled in Troy Hudson with the game-tying run. Matt Altenburger broke the tie with a run-scoring single. With two outs, Widman doubled to left-center to chase home Travis Potchka and Matt Altenburger. Jarrod Wehri singled to score Widman.

Widman's double snapped a tie for the career hits record with Doug Spencer (1994-98).

"I knew I was kinda close to a few records heading into the season when I checked, but I hadn't thought about any since we started playin', " Widman said after the game. "I was surprised when it was announced over the PA. At the time, all I was thinkin' about was getting a hit and adding runs. It was still a close game at that point."

Along with seven walks in the third, Ybarra smashed a 3-run double to center field and Wehri lined a two-run double to right field. Altenburger had a run-scoring double, so did Ben Dunlap while Travis Potchka had a run-scoring single. Potchka also had a run-scoring walk as did Troy Hudson. Wehri also had a run-scoring ground out.

USF returns to action on Tuesday at Indiana Tech. This game(s) was just added to the USF schedule and the time is still to be determined. The Cougars had re-scheduled a double-header on Monday at home against Purdue-North Central, but that has been post-poned and no new date has been determined.

-- GO USF --