Game 3 - May 26, 2006
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Michael Vicaro left Aurora University impressed and a bit befuddled on Friday.
In an opening game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium, the Montclair State University pitcher (right) struck out a career-high 15, as the Red Hawks beat Aurora 7-2. Montclair State (34-17-2) advances to play at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point-Marietta College game, which was being played late Friday evening. Aurora (34-13) takes on the loser of the Stevens Point-Marietta game at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.
"We're typically a pretty aggressive team and for us to go down looking, what, seven, eight times … that's way too many," Aurora coach Shaun Neitzel said. "I just thought (Vicaro) was very good, one of the better guys we've seen all year."
Vicaro, who improved to 6-4 on the season, scattered five hits and walked one in going the distance. He allowed an unearned run in the first and a run in the ninth. Montclair State pounded out 14 hits and stole six bases to beat Aurora ace Alex Chapple, who lost for just the second time this season against eight wins. "He was outstanding," Montclair State coach Norm Schoenig said of Vicaro. "His breaking pitch was excellent and he hit his spots with his fastball."
After giving up the unearned run in the top of the first, the Red Hawks just starting pecking away against Chapple. Michael Nunes led off the bottom of the first with an infield single and stole second. He scored on Danny Rodriguez's single and the game was tied. Montclair State added a run in the second when Andrew Vicaro (pictured left), the Red Hawks' catcher and younger brother of Michael, doubled and later scored on a double-play ground ball.
The Red Hawks got two more runs in the third after loading the bases on a single, a walk and a bunt single. Montclair State then got a pair of run-scoring groundouts to go up 4-1.
At the same time, Michael Vicaro was mowing down the Spartans. He retired 18 of 19 between the first and seventh innings, and the only batter to reach came on a hit batsman.
"I think we were all just getting frustrated," said Aurora center fielder John Hopkins (pictured left), who had a pair of doubles against Vicaro. "I've been a starter for four years, and I've never seen us look at that many pitches."
Montclair State added two more runs in the fifth to really take control. Rob Bowness (pictured above right) started the rally with a one-out single, and Robert Clark followed with a double. Andrew Vicaro's fielder's choice scored Bowness, and Lou Politan followed with a sharp single to left to score Vicaro, who had stolen second, and the Red Hawks led 6-1.
The Red Hawks led 7-1 heading to the eighth, and Michael Vicaro allowed a walk and double in the inning, but he struck out the side to end the threat. "You just have to try and focus and get the job done," Michael Vicaro said. It turned out to be a job well done.
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Aurora 2 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A John Hopkins cf........... 3 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Starkey 2b........... 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 4 Aaron Thor ss............. 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 Jay Zimmerman dh.......... 4 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 Paul Dean lf.............. 4 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 Ryan Lasacco 3b........... 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 Nick Weber 1b............. 4 0 0 0 0 4 8 1 Chris Forbes c............ 3 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 Josh Damore rf............ 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 Alex Chapple p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Jonathon Turek p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals.................... 31 2 5 1 1 15 24 12 Montclair State 7 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Michael Nunes cf.......... 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 Danny Rodriguez 2b........ 5 1 3 1 0 1 0 2 Brian Butler lf........... 4 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 Rob Bowness dh............ 5 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 Robert Clark 3b........... 4 0 1 2 0 0 0 2 Andrew Vicaro c........... 4 2 2 2 0 0 13 0 Matt Hartwick c........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Lou Politan 1b............ 4 0 2 1 0 1 8 0 Scott Evangelist rf....... 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 Thomas Meyer rf........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Cuozzi ss........... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 James Scelzo ss........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Michael Vicaro p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals.................... 37 7 14 6 3 6 27 8 Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Aurora 100 000 001 - 2 5 0 Montclair State 112 020 10 - 7 14 1 ---------------------------------------------- E - R Clark. DP - Aurora 1; Montclair St 1. LOB - Aurora 5; Montclair St 9. 2B - Hopkins 2; Thor; B Butler; R Clark; A Vicaro. SB - Hopkins; Nunes; D Rodriguez 2; Bowness; A Vicaro. SH - Starkey. Aurora IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Alex Chapple........ 6.0 12 7 7 2 5 29 31 Jonathon Turek...... 2.0 2 0 0 1 1 8 9 Montclair State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Michael Vicaro...... 9.0 5 2 1 1 15 31 34 Win - M Vicaro 6-4. Loss - Chapple 8-2. Save - None. BK - M Vicaro. HBP - by M Vicaro (Hopkins). Umpires - Home:Andre Lanoue 1st:Kevin Joyce 2nd:Scott Behn 3rd:Mike Walsh Start: 4:30pm Time: 2:15 Attendance: Chapple faced 2 batters in the 7th.
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Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Aurora 100 000 001 - 2 5 0 Montclair State 112 020 10 - 7 14 1 ---------------------------------------------- Aurora inning 1 Hopkins doubled to left center. Starkey reached on an error by 3b, advanced to second, SAC, bunt; Hopkins scored, unearned. Thor grounded out to 3b. Zimmerman struck out looking. P Dean grounded out to ss. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 1 Nunes singled to third base. Nunes stole second. D Rodriguez singled to right field, RBI; Nunes scored. B Butler lined out to lf. Bowness struck out swinging; D Rodriguez stole second. R Clark flied out to cf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 2 Losacco struck out swinging. N Weber struck out looking. C Forbes flied out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Montclair State inning 2 A Vicaro doubled to left center. Politan singled to second base; A Vicaro advanced to third. S Evangelist walked; Politan advanced to second. Cuozzi grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; S Evangelist out on the play; Politan advanced to third; A Vicaro scored. Nunes flied out to cf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 3 Damore out at first p to 2b to 1b. Hopkins hit by pitch. Hopkins stole second. Starkey struck out swinging. Thor struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 3 D Rodriguez singled to center field. D Rodriguez stole second. B Butler walked. Bowness singled to first base; B Butler advanced to second; D Rodriguez advanced to third. R Clark grounded out to 3b, RBI; Bowness advanced to second; B Butler advanced to third; D Rodriguez scored. A Vicaro grounded out to 2b, RBI; Bowness advanced to third; B Butler scored. Politan grounded out to 2b. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 4 Zimmerman struck out looking. P Dean flied out to cf. Losacco grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Montclair State inning 4 S Evangelist struck out looking. Cuozzi struck out swinging. Nunes singled to left field. D Rodriguez struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 5 N Weber struck out looking. C Forbes flied out to rf. Damore struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Montclair State inning 5 B Butler out at first 1b to p. Bowness singled to center field. Bowness stole second. R Clark doubled to right field; Bowness advanced to third. A Vicaro reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; R Clark out at third ss to 3b; Bowness scored. A Vicaro stole second. Politan singled to left field, RBI; A Vicaro scored. S Evangelist grounded out to p. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 6 Hopkins grounded out to 2b. Starkey struck out looking. Thor grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Montclair State inning 6 Cuozzi struck out swinging. Nunes flied out to rf. D Rodriguez grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora inning 7 Zimmerman singled up the middle. P Dean struck out swinging. Losacco hit into double play cf to 1b; Zimmerman out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Montclair State inning 7 B Butler doubled to right field. Bowness singled to left field; B Butler advanced to third. Turek to p for Chapple. R Clark reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Bowness out at second ss to 2b; B Butler scored. A Vicaro singled to shortstop; R Clark advanced to second. Politan struck out swinging. S Evangelist walked; A Vicaro advanced to second; R Clark advanced to third. Cuozzi grounded out to p. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Aurora inning 8 N Weber struck out looking. C Forbes struck out swinging. Damore walked. Hopkins doubled down the lf line; Damore advanced to third. Starkey struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Montclair State inning 8 Nunes lined out to 3b. D Rodriguez singled to left field. B Butler flied out to lf. Bowness grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 9 Harwick to c for A Vicaro. T Meyer to rf for S Evangelist. Scelzo to ss for Cuozzi. Thor doubled to center field. Thor advanced to third on a balk. Zimmerman struck out looking. P Dean grounded out to 1b unassisted, RBI; Thor scored. Losacco singled to right field. N Weber struck out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Updated May 2006