South Regional - Game 3 - May 15, 2003
Story | Box score | Play-by-Play
HICKORY, N.C. - The Averett University baseball team exploded for five runs in the third inning, en route to an 8-4 victory over Thomas More College in the opening round of the NCAA South Regional Championship at L.P. Frans Stadium. The win was the first NCAA Tournament win for the Cougars in the program's eight-year history, as Averett (27-12) is making their first Regional appearance.
With the game knotted at 1-1, Averett centerfielder Jason Inge drew a one out walk in the third, and Gene Yost followed with an opposite field blast over the right field wall giving the Cougars a 3-1 advantage. Kevin Bundy added a two out double down the left field line that scored Greg Stevens, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. Chris England followed with a towering shot over the left field wall, extending Averett's advantage to 6-1. The Cougars added runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, and allowed a single Thomas More (31-9) run in the fourth.
Trailing 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth, the Saints looked to make a rally, as they loaded the bases. With two away in the inning, Thomas More leftfielder Brad Thoma connected with an apparent base-clearing hit to left-center field. However, Averett leftfielder Richie Comerford robbed Thoma, as he made an over the shoulder catch at the wall to get the Cougars out of the inning and preserve the Cougar advantage. Thomas More added runs in the seventh and ninth innings, but could not get any closer.
Yost was credited with the win in seven innings of work. He gave up seven hits, three runs (only two earned), and struck out 10 while improving to 10-1 on the season. Drake Shumate closed the contest with a pair of strikeouts in two innings pitched.
England had a team best three RBIs in the Averett win. He also joined three other Cougars with multi-hit efforts in the game. Yost, Comerford, England, and Dustin Durham all had two hits. Yost's home run ties his own school record for homers in a season, which he set last year, with nine. Dan Buchwald went 2-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Saints.
The Averett win sets up a re-match of the Dixie Conference Championship game between the Cougars and Christopher Newport University at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Saints move on to face Virginia Wesleyan College at 3 p.m. Both games are to be played at Frans Stadium in Hickory, NC
Averett 8 (27-12) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Richie Comerford lf...... 5 0 2 1 0 1 2 0 1 Jason Inge cf............ 4 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 Gene Yost p/dh........... 4 1 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 Eddie Guessford rf....... 4 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Greg Stevens c........... 4 1 0 1 1 0 12 0 1 Kevin Bundy 1b........... 5 1 1 1 0 1 6 0 2 Chris England ss......... 4 2 2 3 1 2 0 2 0 Dustin Durham 3b......... 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 Josh Owen pr............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ben Rezeli 3b........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Vondell Johnson 2b....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 2 1 Drake Shumate p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 37 8 12 8 6 7 27 5 9 Thomas More 4 (31-9) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Scott Vetter ss.......... 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 6 0 Noah Welte cf............ 5 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 Doug Vetter 2b........... 3 1 0 0 2 2 4 1 1 Fred Riess c............. 5 1 2 1 0 2 7 2 0 Bobby Kinkade dh......... 3 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 Brad Thoma lf............ 4 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 5 Dan Buchwald 3b.......... 5 0 2 2 0 0 2 3 0 Kyle Bucher 1b........... 5 0 1 0 0 3 6 1 2 Nick Pieczonka rf........ 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 Matt Kaiser p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Richie Brees p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 D.J. Hampton p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 39 4 9 3 5 12 27 15 13 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Averett............. 015 110 000 - 8 12 3 Thomas More......... 100 100 101 - 4 9 6 ------------------------------------------- E - Johnson 2(9); Shumate(1); S. Vetter 2(22); D. Vetter 4(20). DP - Saints 2. LOB - Cougars 9; Saints 13. 2B - Comerford(6); Bundy(15); Welte(15); Riess(12); Buchwald(7); Bucher(11). HR - Yost(9); England(1). SH - Johnson(8). CS - Guessford(3); Bundy(4). Averett IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Gene Yost........... 7.0 7 3 2 3 10 30 33 Drake Shumate....... 2.0 2 1 1 2 2 9 11 Thomas More IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Matt Kaiser......... 2.2 6 6 2 2 1 14 16 Richie Brees........ 2.1 4 2 2 3 1 10 14 D.J. Hampton........ 4.0 2 0 0 1 5 13 14 Win - Yost (10-1). Loss - Kaiser (5-2). Save - None. WP - Kaiser(5). BK - Hampton(2). Umpires - Start: 7 Time: 2:56 Attendance: 150
Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Averett............. 015 110 000 - 8 12 3 Thomas More......... 100 100 101 - 4 9 6 ------------------------------------------- Averett - inning 1 Comerford popped up to 2b. Inge struck out swinging. Yost lined out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Thomas More - inning 1 S. Vetter flied out to cf. Welte doubled down the rf line. D. Vetter struck out swinging. Riess singled to right field, RBI; Welte scored. Kinkade lined out to cf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Averett - inning 2 Guessford reached on an error by 2b. Guessford advanced to second on an error by ss, advanced to third, caught stealing. Stevens walked. Bundy reached on a fielder's choice; Stevens out at second ss to 2b. England singled to left field, RBI; Bundy advanced to second; Guessford scored, unearned. Durham flied out to lf. Johnson singled to right field; England advanced to second; Bundy advanced to third. Bundy out at home p to c, caught stealing. 1 run, 2 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB. Thomas More - inning 2 Thoma struck out swinging. Buchwald popped up to 2b. Bucher struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Averett - inning 3 Comerford doubled to left center, out at third cf to ss to 1b to 3b. Inge walked. Inge advanced to second on a wild pitch. Yost homered to right field, 2 RBI; Inge scored. Guessford reached on an error by ss. Stevens reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on an error by 2b; Guessford out at second 3b to 2b. Bundy doubled down the lf line, RBI; Stevens scored, unearned. England homered to left field, 2 RBI, unearned; Bundy scored, unearned. Brees to p for Kaiser. Durham walked. Johnson grounded out to ss. 5 runs, 4 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB. Thomas More - inning 3 Pieczonka struck out swinging. S. Vetter grounded out to 2b. Welte singled to shortstop. D. Vetter reached on a fielder's choice; Welte out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Averett - inning 4 Comerford struck out swinging. Inge singled to left field. Yost singled to right field; Inge advanced to second. Guessford walked; Yost advanced to second; Inge advanced to third. Stevens reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Guessford advanced to second; Yost out at third ss to 3b; Inge scored. Bundy popped up to ss. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Thomas More - inning 4 Riess doubled down the lf line. Kinkade struck out swinging. Thoma reached on an error by 2b; Riess advanced to third. Buchwald singled to center field, RBI; Thoma advanced to second; Riess scored. Bucher struck out swinging. Pieczonka grounded out to 1b unassisted. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. Averett - inning 5 England walked. Durham singled to shortstop; England advanced to second. Johnson reached on an error by 2b, assist by 3b, SAC, bunt; Durham advanced to second; England advanced to third. Comerford singled to second base, RBI; Johnson advanced to second; Durham advanced to third; England scored. Inge flied out to rf. Yost grounded into double play ss to 1b; Comerford out on the play. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. Thomas More - inning 5 S. Vetter singled to right center. Welte reached on a fielder's choice; S. Vetter out at second 2b unassisted. D. Vetter walked; Welte advanced to second. Riess struck out swinging. Kinkade walked; D. Vetter advanced to second; Welte advanced to third. Thoma flied out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Averett - inning 6 Hampton to p for Brees. Guessford singled to first base. Stevens grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; Guessford out on the play. Dropped foul ball, E4. Bundy grounded out to c. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 LOB. Thomas More - inning 6 Buchwald grounded out to 3b. Bucher popped up to 1b. Pieczonka struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Averett - inning 7 England struck out swinging. Durham singled to left field. Owen pinch ran for Durham. Owen advanced to second on a balk. Johnson grounded out to 3b; Owen no advance. Comerford flied out to rf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Thomas More - inning 7 Rezeli to 3b for Owen. S. Vetter singled to shortstop. Welte grounded out to 2b; S. Vetter advanced to second. D. Vetter struck out swinging. Riess reached on an error by 2b; S. Vetter scored, unearned. Kinkade walked; Riess advanced to second. Thoma struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB. Averett - inning 8 Inge struck out looking. Yost walked. Guessford struck out looking. Stevens flied out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Thomas More - inning 8 Yost to dh. Shumate to p for Yost. Buchwald grounded out to ss. Bucher doubled down the lf line. Pieczonka reached on an error by p, bunt. S. Vetter reached on a fielder's choice; Pieczonka advanced to second; Bucher out at third 3b unassisted. Welte lined out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB. Averett - inning 9 Bundy struck out swinging. England struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b, bunt. Rezeli flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Thomas More - inning 9 D. Vetter walked. Riess struck out swinging. Kinkade flied out to rf. Thoma walked; D. Vetter advanced to second. Buchwald doubled down the rf line, RBI; Thoma advanced to third; D. Vetter scored. Bucher struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Updated Sept 2003