Date: Wed, May 30/07, 6:00pm
Location: RM - B1
  1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
R H E
The Nickel 111100-4--
Athletes Corner 000302-5--
Game Notes: Athletes Corner nipped The Nickel 5-4 in a tight pitchers' duel between Devin Richards and Michael Puvogel of TN and Zac McDonald of AC.

In the first inning, Tyler VonDracek knocked a one out single and scored on a booming triple to left center by Puvogel. In the bottom of the first, AC answered as Branick Herold and Scotty Kirkpatrick singled, and Sean Atkins laced a double into the left field corner. But the runners were sent back, when after a short delay, the ball was ruled foul. Richards enticed a flyball and a groundout, and TN's 1-0 lead held.

Tyler Silk coaxed a 2-out walk in the second, advanced to second on Drew Zandi's blooper behind first base and to third as Derek Hanson walked. Silk cleverly baited AC into two pickoff attempts with Jacob Broderius at bat, and the second one sailed into left field. Silk's score made it 2-0, though Zandi was thrown out trying to steal 3rd. In their half of the inning, AC went down in order, as Richards continued to mow down the hitters, as he had when the two teams met last week.

Dylan Hopkins led off the 3rd with a single, stole 2nd and went to 3rd on a single by Von Dracek. Puvogel was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Austin Bragg's flyball to left plated Hopkins for a 3-0 lead. In the bottom half of the 3rd, AC's Nam Le drew a 2-out walk and stole second, but was thrown out at the plate when VonDracek fielded Austin Wegdahl's line single in left center and fired a bullet to Puvogel.

Eric Saxton scored an unearned run for TN in the top of the 4th, when he led off with a walk, advanced to third on a groundout and an error, and took home on a passed ball. TN's Richards was sailing along with a 4-0 lead when Herold and Kirkpatrick singled and Atkins walked. Alex Lovingfoss' single plated Herold and Kirkpatrick but Atkins was thrown out at home. Lovingfoss stole second and third, as Lars Ertolacci walked. Taylor Beck then laid down a great squeeze bunt and was safe at first when the ball struck his foot as he raced to the bag. After two strike outs, Ertolacci advanced to third, and Beck to second, on a sharp single by Wegdahl but Puvogel, relieving Richards, enticed a popup to end the inning with TN leading 4-3.

Both teams went down in order, in the 5th.

In the top of the 6th, Hopkins reached on a fielder's choice, stole 2nd and advanced to third despite an amazing play at first, when Atkins somehow snagged a high throw for the second out. McDonald then fielded a bunt and threw to Atkins for the final out of the inning.

Between 2 strikeouts by Puvogel, Atkins smacked a 2-0 pitch into left for a single. Then, on a 3-2 pitch, Lars Ertolacci lashed a long fly ball into right center, clearing the right fielder. Off with the pitch, Atkins scored and the relay throw stuck in the backstop as Ertolacci approached 3rd. He was waved in with the go-ahead run. Beck then reached on an error and stole 2nd and 3rd, only to be stranded by Puvogel's 3rd "K" of the inning.

At this point, with darkness approaching and play having lasted over 2 hours, the game was called by the umpires.

McDonald, in the first start of his career, scattered 5 hits, walked 4, hit one and struck out 4, while giving up 2 earned runs. Puvogel and Richards struck out 9 AC batters.