Monday, April 25, 2005

Valparaiso, Ind. - Aaron Cameron's suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the 10th scored Mike Arensdorff with the winning run as Valpo edged Southern Utah 8-7 in the nightcap of a Mid-Continent Conference twinbill. The Thunderbirds outslugged the Crusaders 14-11 in the first game. Arensdorff had eight RBIs in the doubleheader, including seven in the first game. Kevin Perri went 5-for-7 in the twinbill with two triples and two doubles.

Brian Rzepka, who was 5-for-10 on the afternoon, delivered a two-out, two-run game-tying single in the bottom of the seventh inning of the second game to force extra innings. The Crusaders also scored an unearned run earlier in the frame.

In the 10th inning of the nightcap, Arensdorff belted a one-out double off the bottom of the wall. Kevin Kutansky, who had four hits in the game, hit a single to left, advancing Arensdorff to third. Arensdorff then took off for home plate and Cameron laid down a bunt that was fielded by the first baseman as Arensdorff was scoring the game winner.

Valpo (11-21, 4-6 Mid-Con) led 3-0 in the third on Arensdorff's sacrifice fly and Matt Augustine's two-run homer to right center. Southern Utah (17-19, 5-5) plated one in the fourth and two in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-3 lead.

Perri's RBI triple in the sixth pulled the Crusaders within 5-4, but the Thunderbirds received a two-out, two-run pinch hit homer from Tyson Olson to extend SUU's lead to 7-4.

Harvey Yergin (2-5), Valpo's fourth pitcher of the game, hurled 2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. A sophomore righty, Yergin escaped a jam in the ninth by recording a one-out strikeout with the go-ahead run on third. He then retired Darren Duckworth on a grounder to first to end the threat.

In the first game, SUU had a 12-0 lead, posting five runs in both the third and fourth frames. Olson's three-run triple highlighted the third and Justin Sotelo's two-run homer keyed the fourth.

Arensdorff's second home run - a three-run shot - helped ignite Valpo's offense, which produced 13 hits.

An eight-run sixth forced SUU to use three pitchers in the inning. Arensdorff had a two-run double, Josh Piazza hammered a two-run triple, Jon Rupno added an RBI double, Jeff Rickert had an RBI single and Arensdorff delivered a two-run single during the eight-hit uprising.

Valpo brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh but could not score.

Valpo hosts Bradley on Tuesday in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.