Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Valparaiso, Ind. - Kyle Obenauf and Adam Paetznick combined for a 1-0 shutout and Justin Lata, Adam Knobel and Nick Mazzone tossed a two-hitter in a 3-1 nightcap win as Valpo swept Bradley in a twinbill. Brandon Sadler had two RBIs and Eddie Hannan finished with three hits on the day.

Obenauf, a freshman righthander, was impressive in the first game. In 6 scoreless innings, he struck out seven and walked one, while scattering six hits. Obenauf (3-1) escaped jams in the second and sixth innings with double play groundouts to end each frame.

Valpo (14-25-1) plated the only run it needed in the fourth. Sean Peickert led off the inning with a triple, Marc Boggio drew a walk and Sadler hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Peickert.

Adam Paetznick pitched the seventh for his Mid-Continent Conference-leading seventh save. Bradley's Brad Canada hit a one-out double before Paetznick retired Brian Meischner and John Sage on consecutive fly outs to end the game.

In the nightcap, the Crusaders received another sterling pitching performance from Lata, Knobel and Mazzone. Through five innings, Lata and Knobel held the Braves hitless. In fact, Bradley had only three baserunners (two via walk and one hit-by-pitch) entering the sixth.

Valpo benefited from five Bradley errors, scoring an unearned run in each of the first three innings. In the first, the Crusaders took a 1-0 lead after Eric Snyder reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman, advanced to third on Boggio's single and scored on Sadler's single to left field.

Hannan led off the second with a single and, after advancing to second as a result of the catcher's throwing error on Kyle Young's fielder's choice, scored on a throwing error by the shortstop. Valpo extended to lead to 3-0 in the third when Sadler scored from second on another throwing error by the catcher following a strikeout.

Lata (1-1) hurled 3 innings and allowed one walk. The senior lefty was relieved by Knobel, who struck out one and walked one in 2 innings. Mazzone, who earned his first collegiate save, allowed one run and two hits, while fanning one and walking one.

Bradley (18-23) tallied its lone run of the day in the sixth when Canada doubled to the left-center gap and eventually scored on a RBI groundout by Meischner.

Valpo travels to play at Western Michigan on Wednesday at 3 p.m. EDT.