Sunday, April 20, 2003

Valparaiso, Ind. - Todd Evans allowed one run and six hits in 6 innings, and Marc Boggio and Brandon Sadler belted solo homers to propel Valpo to a 3-1 Mid-Continent Conference win over Oral Roberts and a split of a doubleheader. Adam Paetznick pitched the seventh inning to record his league-leading fifth save of the season. The Golden Eagles won the first game 8-6. Jeff Mandsager had four RBIs in the first game for the Crusaders.

Evans (2-4) and ORU's Taylor McIntyre (3-2) locked up in a pitcher's duel in the nightcap. The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the third on a RBI single by Ryan Welborn. Valpo (9-22-1, 1-3 Mid-Con) tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth on Sadler's solo shot - his third roundtripper - over the right field fence.

A senior righthander, Evans seemed to get stronger as the game grew older and pitched scoreless ball in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames. He helped himself get out of a jam in the sixth by fielding David Castillo's line drive and catching Scott Campbell straying off second base for a double play to end the inning.

The momentum immediately carried over as Boggio gave Valpo a 2-1 advantage by leading off the sixth with his third home run over the right field wall. The Crusaders tacked on one more run in the sixth when pinch runner Ryan Eberhardt scored on a passed ball.

After ORU's Grant Plumley singled to lead off the seventh, Paetznick relieved Evans and struck out two, including Eric Keller to end the game.

Evans, who owns the best ERA (4.14) among Valpo's starting pitchers, did not allow an earned run and fanned three, while not yielding a walk. McIntyre, who has the best ERA for ORU (19-17, 3-1 Mid-Con), allowed two earned runs and three hits, while striking out five and walking two in 5 innings.

In the first game, Valpo was forced to attempt a comeback after trailing 7-0 entering the bottom of the sixth. The Crusaders scored four runs in the sixth on a two-run double by Mandsager, and RBI singles by Sean Peickert and Kyle Young.

Mandsager belted a two-run homer - his third of the campaign - in the eighth. Peickert, who finished the game with three hits, singled in the ninth, but Valpo was unable to score off reliever Justin Ramsey, who earned his second save.

Welborn went four-for-four, including an inside-the-park homer, and Castillo hammered a three-run triple for the Golden Eagles.

Chalfant (1-2) hurled 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits, while fanning eight and walking three. Elliott Gibbs (1-4) suffered the loss, pitching 4 1/3 innings.

Valpo hosts Purdue on Tuesday at 3 p.m.