2007 NCAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS #13 Southern Indiana Blanks & Eliminates #5 Franklin Pierce, 3-0
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."