Sunday, April 02, 2006

Valparaiso scored in each of the first seven innings, including eight times in the second as the Crusaders won for the second straight day defeating Marian (Ind.) 20-14 on Sunday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.

Marian jumped in front early with three in the first and one in the second to take a 4-1 lead before Valpo sent 11 hitters to the plate in the second. Michael Arensdorff (Park View, Wis./North Scott H.S.) and Kevin Kutansky (Schererville, Ind./Munster H.S.) each drove in two runs with doubles and Josh Piazza (Niles, Ill./Notre Dame H.S.) hit a two-run homer to left-center as the Crusaders went up 9-4. Kutansky also had a run-scoring triple in the first inning.

Valpo tacked on two unearned runs in the third and plated four more in the fourth, two on a single by Kevin Perri (South Bend, Ind./Adams H.S.). With Valpo up 15-4 heading into the fifth, the Knights put together a seven-run inning to close within four. Twelve hitters batted in the inning as Marian scored six unearned runs on seven singles.

The Crusaders added a single run in the fifth and two more in the sixth, including a solo home run by Perri. Dan Portschy (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central H.S.) and Arensdorff each drove home a run in the seventh as Valpo put up its highest run output of the season.

Marian added three runs in the eighth, two on a triple by Derek Mailikian, but could not get any closer the rest of the way.

Perri finished the day 4-for-4 with a double and homer, scored five times, drew two walks, and drove in four runs. Arensdorff and Kutansky each had four RBIs on the day and Kutansky went 3-for-5. Tyler Lowell (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest H.S.) also went 3-for-4 for the Brown and Gold.

Mailikian had four runs batted in for Marian (13-19) while Tyler Ester had three hits in six at bats.

Nick Mazzone (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North H.S.) started and earned the win for Valpo as three Crusader hurlers combined for ten strikeouts on the afternoon. Starter Gary Brittain suffered the loss for the Knights.

Valparaiso (4-14) will head out on the road for its next five games beginning on Tuesday afternoon as the Crusaders face Ball State in Muncie, Ind. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CDT with coverage beginning online at www.sportsjuice.com at 1:50 p.m.