Mules score in each of the first five innings and cruise to victory

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (May 26, 2003) - No. 1-ranked Central Missouri State University scored six runs in the fourth inning to break open a 3-2 game and coasted to an 11-4 victory over No. 21 Franklin Pierce in game six of the 2003 Division II College World Series at Paterson Field tonight.

Central Missouri (49-7) will await the winner of Wednesday's elimination game between Grand Valley State University (41-13-1) and either University of Tampa (43-17) or Kennesaw State University (39-16). Grand Valley eliminated Slippery Rock University (48-13), 9-8, in today's first game. Central Missouri will play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. (CT), needing just one win to advance to Saturday's National Championship game.

Franklin Pierce (31-16) will face the winner of tomorrow's elimination game between UC Davis (35-23) and Abilene Christian (45-19) on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. (CT). "Our approach doesn't change," said Head Coach Jayson King after the loss. "Just play ball has been our motto over the last couple of weeks and if we do that it doesn't matter who we play."

King will start freshman right-hander Tyler Cummings (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) on Wednesday.

"We have a good pitcher going for us on Wednesday," said King. "I trust he'll keep pitching well for us, then we have our ace (Matt Weagle) ready after that."

Junior Zach Norman (Odessa, Mo.) led the CMSU offense, as he was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Classmate Danny Guidry (Crowley, La.) finished 3-4 with a double, run scored and two RBI. Senior Brandon Pugh (Odessa, Mo.) finished 2-3 with a home run and three runs scored.

Junior right-hander Phil Sobkow (Calder, Saskatchewan) picked up his eighth win of the season (8-0) as he allowed three earned runs on four hits and six walks with nine strikeouts over six innings.

Senior Mike Callahan (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) was 2-3 for Franklin Pierce with a double, run scored and two RBI. Junior Dante Blancarte (Amesbury, Mass.) was 2-5 with two runs scored, while sophomore Eric Cavers (Otisfield, Maine/Oxford Hills) was 2-5 with two doubles and an RBI.

Freshman Shawn Hayes (Charlton, Mass./Holy Name) registered a stolen base in the second inning to match Cavers' single-season freshman record of 15 set last season.

Senior right-hander Jon White (Medford, Mass./Arlington Catholic) suffered the loss (6-5) as he was touched for nine runs, just three earned, on ten hits with four strikeouts and no walks in 3.2 innings of work.

After CMSU broke on top with an unearned run in the first, Franklin Pierce took a lead of its own in the second. Callahan was hit by a Sobkow pitch to open the frame, then senior Josh Coughlin (Keene, N.H./Keene) singled up the middle before freshman Elliott Shea (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) drew a walk to load the bases. Hayes followed with a base-on-balls of his own to tie the score, then Cavers drove in the go-ahead run with a fielder's choice.

The Mules knotted the score in the bottom of the second as Pugh belted a homer to left with two away. Guidry singled, then scored the go-ahead run in the third when Hayes threw the ball away on an ill-advised double-play attempt.

CMSU broke the game open in the fourth as it took advantage of four Franklin Pierce errors for six runs, just one earned. The earned run came off the bat of freshman Steve Murphy (Overland Park, Kan.) as he led off the inning with his 12th home run of the season to deep center. Senior Boomer Berry (Topeka, Kan.) added a two-run double to the rally.

The Mules added two more runs in the fifth to round out the scoring as Guidry belted a two-run double down the rightfield line. The Ravens chipped into the lead with single runs in the fifth and seventh as Blancarte singled in each frame and later scored on Callahan base hits.

"Obviously I'm not happy with the way we played tonight," said King. "Not because of the score, but because of the mistakes we made. I like the way we hit the ball. We got good contact all night long and if we cut out the mistakes, we are right in the ballgame." 

 BOX SCORE

Batteries:
FP - Jon White, Mike Farrell (4), Greg Basile (6), Mike Bartkus (8) and Eric Cavers and John Richard.
CMSU - Sobkow, Kissel (7), Bergin (8), Horner (9) and Pugh.

WP: Sobkow (8-0)
LP: White (6-5)

HR: CMSU: Murphy (12) and Pugh (5).