Urbana Wins Series vs. Shawnee State
Blue Knights win three of four in AMC series
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (April 20, 2008) – The Blue Knight baseball team took three-of-four games from Shawnee State University this weekend in back-to-back American Mideast Conference doubleheaders. The series started at Urbana (22-13, 12-5 AMC) on Friday where Urbana won the first game, 16-11. The second game was suspended in the fifth with the Blue Knights holding a 17-13 lead. The series vs. the Bears (14-23, 9-11 AMC) continued at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe. Urbana held on for the 17-15 win; won game one, 2-1, and dropped a 5-4 decision in the final game.

In a game that started Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. and finally ended Sunday around 1 p.m., the Blue Knights peppered the SSU pitching staff with 18 hits. They let the Bears hang around by committing five errors. Senior Mike Heck went ballistic on Shawnee State, going 4-for-5 with 5 RBI, including two homeruns in Urbana’s 11-run third inning.

After closing out the game two of the first doubleheader, both teams settled down and it came down to a pitcher’s duel. Blue Knight junior Jaeson Hudnall emerged victorious in the 2-1 complete game decision after giving up just one hit and striking out eight. Urbana scored its only runs in the top of the seventh, rallying with two outs. Heck reached by error and sophomore Matt Murphy singled. Another error on this play allowed pinch runner Andrew Harrell to score and Murphy to advance to second. Junior Steve Froese drove in the game-winning run on a single to left field. Hudnall struck out two of the final three batters to close the deal.

In game two, the Blue Knights suffered an extra-inning loss despite out hitting the Bears, 8-5. SSU used a two-out rally and scored the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth on an error to take the final game of the series, 5-4. Both teams scored in the first inning, with Heck providing an RBI for Urbana on a sacrifice fly. The Bears took a 2-1 lead after three, but the Blue Knights battle back with a single run in the fifth as Urbana strung together back-to-back-to-back hits. Senior Jeff Hartwig drove in the tying run. The Bears once again had an answer and leap frogged Urbana with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Blue Knights were clutch in the seventh, scoring two runs and sending the game into extra innings. Sophomore Kris Nealeigh, who led Urbana at the plate, going 2-for-4, started the rally with a single through the left side. Senior John Lindquist smashed a single up the middle allowing Nealeigh to score, and then Heck came up with his usual heroics, driving in Hartwig, the game-tying run.

Urbana, currently third in the AMC standings, plays at Rio Grande this Wednesday, April 23 at 1 p.m. in an AMC doubleheader.

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