Sunday, May 04, 2003

Valparaiso, Ind. - Western Illinois staged comebacks in both games of a Mid-Continent Conference doubleheader and swept Valpo by scores of 10-5 and 8-4. Marc Boggio had two doubles in the first game to become Valpo's all-time doubles leader with 57. Sean Peickert had a big day at the plate with five hits, including a homer and two doubles.

Valpo (15-28-1, 4-8 Mid-Con) built a 5-0 lead in the first game, highlighted by a four-run second that featured four extra-base hits. Eddie Hannan led off with a triple and scored on Kevin Kutansky's RBI double. After a sacrifice fly by Eric Snyder, Boggio belted the 56th double of his career, tying Mark Pedersen for Valpo's all-time mark and producing the Crusaders' fourth run. Brandon Sadler followed with a RBI double.

Western Illinois (21-27, 7-5 Mid-Con) tied the game at 5-5 in the fifth with five runs - four of which were unearned. The Leathernecks took a 7-5 lead with two runs in the sixth on Clint Buchen's RBI double and Blake Schultz' RBI single. WIU added three runs in the eighth on RBI doubles by Schultz and Troy Shelby, and a RBI single by Ryan Schmidgall.

Boggio, a senior, eclipsed the school's all-time doubles mark in the fourth when he raced to second on a hit just inside the right field foul line. With 57 doubles, Boggio has an opportunity to extend the record as Valpo has at least 10 more scheduled games.

Valpo's Elliott Gibbs pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run and nine hits, while fanning four and walking four. Kyle Obenauf (3-2), who hurled 3 innings in relief, suffered the loss. James Kalinowski (1-5) was brilliant in 7 1/3 innings of relief, holding the Crusaders scoreless on four hits. He struck out five and walked one.

In the nightcap, Valpo had a 3-0 lead after scoring one in the first and two in the third. Peickert's RBI double plated Snyder in the first. Peickert led off the third with a solo blast to left field and Hannan's RBI groundout accounted for the third run.

The Leathernecks came back to tie the score with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth - all with two outs. Joe Rooney's two-run double was the big hit in the fourth for WIU.

Hannan, who had three hits and two RBIs on the day, gave the Crusaders a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a RBI single to right, scoring pinchrunner Nick Mazzone.

Western Illinois mounted its third comeback of the afternoon with a five-run seventh. All of the runs in the inning were unearned as the Leathernecks benefited from two Crusader errors. Ryan Cougill and Schmidgall each delivered two-run singles during the rally.

Todd Evans turned in a solid outing for Valpo, pitching 6 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked two. Adam Paetznick (2-2) took the loss in relief, allowing four runs (no earned runs) and three hits in 1/3 of an inning.

Corey Ferger (2-1) picked up the win, hurling 6 innings of relief. Bucken pitched the final inning for WIU.

Valpo hosts Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the final home game this season at Emory G. Bauer Field.