Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Diamond Jags defeat Presbyterian 5-3
AUGUSTA, GA -- Augusta State put together a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to take down the Presbyterian Blue Hose 5-3 in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon at Jaguar Field. The win was the first for the Diamond Jags (4-12, 0-6 PBC) in nine games.
Freshman lefthander Ben Dukes picked up his first collegiate win, giving up eight hits and two runs (one earned) in five innings with three strikeouts and no walks. The save went to junior lefthander Dustin Taylor, who gave up one run off three hits in four innings of quality relief with three strikeouts and one walk. The save was the first of the season for Taylor.
Presbyterian’s Ben Dollar took the loss after giving up four earned runs off five hits in four innings. Dollar struck out six of 21 batters faced, and relievers Parker Suit and Andrew Cockerham combined for seven strikeouts in two innings each.
After Presbyterian (8-16, 0-3 SAC) capitalized on an ASU error to score a quick run in the first, the Jags answered in the bottom of the inning when senior Chris Demons reached on a single and scored on a Josue Scott error.
The Blue Hose put up another run in the top of the fourth, but it was an offensive explosion by the Jags in the bottom of the fifth that would decide the game.
The ASU rally began with a Demon’s single to rightfield and walk issued by Dollar to freshman Robbie Fite that moved Demons to second. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, freshman Jimmy Tenerovich blasted a double to leftfield that scored Demons and Fite. Freshman Jorge Virguez then shot another double to right scoring Tenerovich, followed by a double from senior Preston Crews that plated Virguez.
Though the Blue Hose came back with a run in the top of the sixth, it was the last time they would cross the plate. A last ditch effort in the top of the ninth was crushed when Virguez made a running throw to first off a grounder with runners on first and second to make the final out and seal the game for ASU.