News and Events
[printer friendly version]posted on 3/29/09
SJC Gather Two Wins Over Mighty Oaks
The Saint Joseph's College baseball team added two more victories to the win column at Gil Hodges Field on Saturday as they defeated Oakland City University 4-2 in game one. In the afternoon game the Pumas came from behind in the bottom of the sixth inning to pick up the 4-3 victory.
Both teams had to deal with temperatures in the 40s and a heavy cold east wind that reached 24 miles per hour.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Joe Pudlo (Fr, Grayslake, Ill./Carmel) and Joe Messina (Jr., New Lenox, Ill./South Suburban CC) got on base ahead of Mike Pericht (Jr., Orland Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) who ripped a three-run homerun down the left field line to give SJC (17-11) a 3-1 lead. The Mighty Oakes (6-15) tightened the game in the sixth inning as they added another run, but Brian Staatz (So., Chicago, Ill./Saint Laurence) scored an insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth inning to give the Pumas and Gord Gateman (RSr., Owen Sound, Ontario/Kellogg CC) the victory.
Gateman went the full seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out eight.
In game two, OCU scored twice in the third and once in the sixth to take a 3-1 lead, but Sean Estand (So., Evergreen Park, Ill./Eastern Illinois) tied the game with a two-run double into left field in the bottom of the sixth. Estand moved to third on a Matt Foltz (So.,Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) sacrifice bunt and later scored on a sharply hit groundout off the bat of Brian Staatz.
Tyler Buhlig (RSr., Beardstown, Ill./Lincoln Land CC), with two innings of work picked up his third win of the season.
"We will take the two wins," said head coach Rick O'Dette. "When dealing with the weather conditions out there today, we knew we had to pitch and play defense. I thought we did a great job in both respects," concluded O'Dette.
The Pumas will play two more games against the Mighty Oaks on Sunday. First pitch at Gil Hodges Field will be pushed back to 1 p.m. CDT due to the unpredictable weather forecast.
