Blue Knights, Bears Combine for 57 Runs
Urbana claims game one 16-11; second game suspended
URBANA, Ohio (April 18, 2008) – Between Urbana University and the Shawnee State Bears, the two baseball teams launched nine homeruns in an “almost” American Mideast Conference doubleheader at Blue Knight Field Friday evening. Urbana claimed game one, 16-11, and owned a 17-13 lead in the second game before it was suspended at the top of the fifth inning due to darkness. The remainder of the contest will be played Sunday at noon at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio prior to the regularly scheduled AMC doubleheader against SSU.

The Blue Knights started game one on a roll, jumping to a 7-0 lead after the first inning. The Bears chomped away at the lead in the next inning, piling on nine runs. Urbana tacked on four more runs to take an 11-9 lead. SSU wouldn’t die and came back to tie it in the third. Senior Mike Bezak gave Urbana the lead for good with an RBI in the bottom of the third. The Blue Knights gained insurance runs with three in the fourth and another in the sixth. Bezak led Urbana with 4 RBI. Senior Jeff Hartwig recorded his third homerun of the season, while freshman Zach Roll had a breakout game, going 2-for-4 with 3 RBI on a triple and a homerun, his first of the season. Junior Mike Blanton came out of the bullpen and shut out the Bears offense recording five strikeouts in three innings of work.

In game two, SSU held a 9-3 lead after two innings. That’s when the Blue Knights busted out an 11-run inning, aided by senior Mike Heck’s (pictured above) two homeruns. Heck went 3-for-4 with 5 RBI. Roll continued his streak, going 3-for-3 with a double for 2 RBI. Sophomore Andrew Harrell tallied 3 RBI after going 2-for-3. Hartwig and sophomore Matt Murphy both accounted for 2 RBI as well. Urbana owned a 17-13 lead when the game was suspended in the top of the fifth with two runners on and one out.

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