Columbia
Maine
Baseball Defeats Maine 10-7
3/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Lions went up 1-0 in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Dan Neczypor. Senior Andrew Hooker led off the inning with a bunt single but was thrown out at second as fellow senior Marc Gold hit a grounder to the infield. Gold moved over to second on an infield single from junior Craig Rodwogin. Gold and Rodwogin advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and Gold crossed the plate after tagging on a fly ball to left field from Neczypor.
First-year Ron Williams led off the top of the fourth inning with a single and as he stole second during the next at bat, the Maine catcher threw the ball into the outfield, allowing Williams to go to third. With one out, Perkins hit a deep double down the left field line to score Williams. Perkins advanced to third as the Black Bear's pitcher tried to pick him off second, but again, the ball landed in the outfield. First-year Mike Roberts sent Perkins home on another sacrifice fly to put the Lions up 3-0. Maine however, tied up the game in the bottom half of the inning, connecting on three hits for three runs. Columbia took the lead back in the top of the fifth, 7-3. Rodwogin led off the inning with a single and Neczypor followed him with a walk. The two runners advanced on a wild pitch then junior Andrew Ward hit the two base runners in on a long single to right center. Williams followed with a single and during the next at bat, Ward stole third. Senior Michael DeFazio sent Ward home on a single to left field and during the next at bat, Williams stole third and went home on a throwing error by the catcher to end the scoring for the Lions.
Columbia scored a run in both the sixth and seventh inning to go ahead 9-3. With two outs, Ward doubled down the left field line and was hit in on a single up the middle from Williams in the sixth. In the seventh, Perkins led off with a single and as he stole second a couple pitches later, the catcher made another throwing error allowing Perkins to go to third. Roberts hit Perkins in with a single on the next pitch to put the Lions up by one more run.
The Black Bears were able to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Lions scored another run in the top of the ninth to put the lead further out of reach. DeFazio led off with a single and Perkins followed with another single to send DeFazio to third. Roberts racked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly to send DeFazio home to end the Lions scoring for the game.
Baumann (1-1) notched the win for Columbia, pitching six innings, allowing 10 hits and five runs (three earned). Junior Dan Bajger pitched the save for the Lions, pitching three innings allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) while striking out three batters.
Perkins and Hooker both finished the game with four hits and one RBI while Roberts and Ward both had two RBI with Ward going 2-for-5 at the plate.
The Lions face Florida International tomorrow, Sunday, March 19 in Miami, Fla. Game time is 1 p.m.
