University of Albany Baseball Splits Games at Caravelle Resort Tournament - UAlbany Sports

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Conway, S.C. – Pete Eichner and Kyle Crean each blasted two home runs to lead UAlbany to a 9-6 win over Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne in the first game of the Caravelle Resort Tournament at Watson Stadium on Friday. The Great Danes also dropped a 12-0 decision to host Coastal Carolina in the second game of the day.

Against the Mastadons early in the day, UAlbany fell behind 6-0 before the Great Danes bats came alive. IPFW scored a single run in the opening inning behind consecutive doubles by shortstop Chris Gottschall and first baseman Shaun VanDriessche. Jordan Kohler later launched a three-run homer to left center. Gottschall gave the Mastodons a 6-0 lead in the top of the fifth with a solo shot over the wall in left center.

The Great Danes got a single run in the bottom of the fifth and three in the sixth, courtesy of a two-run homer by Eichner and a solo blast from Crean. The back-to-back homers cut the IPFW lead to two, 6-4. UAlbany tied it in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-run homer by right fielder Brendan Rowland. The Great Danes sealed the win in the eighth on a leadoff homer by designated hitter Mike Tirri. UAlbany then added two more insurance runs in the frame for the 9-6 final.

Senior reliever Sean Gregory came on in the fifth and tossed 4.1 innings to allow UAlbany to get back into the game, scattering just three hits without allowing a run. He got his first win of the season, striking out four Mastadons while walking one. Junior reliever Andrew Emge took the loss for the IPFW (1-4). He gave up two runs on two hits in one inning of work, striking out one. Samuel Walker went 4.2 innings on the mound for the Mastadons to start the game, fanning six while allowing just one earned run.

Anthony Meo tossed five shutout innings for nationally ranked Coastal Carolina in the second game. The freshman right hander struck out eight opposing batters while allowing just three hits. The Chanticleers, who are a consensus top-20 team in the four national baseball polls, scored four runs in the second to open up the scoring. Evan Noell and Rico Noel both recorded RBI singles in the inning, while two other runs were walked in for Coastal.

The Great Danes had a chance to score in the top of the third, as catcher Ryan Gugel doubled to right center to get on base. Meo struck out the next two batters in the UAlbany lineup to get out of the inning. In the fourth, Tirri and Crean recorded back-to-back singles to put a runner in scoring position, but Meo worked his way out of trouble again with two strikeouts and a UAlbany groundout.

Coastal added five runs in the fifth behind a two-RBI double by right fielder Adam Rice. First baseman David Anderson recorded an RBI single, while Noell drove in his second run of the day with a bunt. Noell later scored on a single by senior second baseman Tyler Bortnick to finish off the scoring for the Chanticleers in the inning. Coastal Carolina (9-1) added three more runs in the bottom half of the sixth to seal the outcome.

Senior Chris Ott took the loss for the Great Danes after allowing three earned runs and issuing five walks. Cory Warrings fanned two in 2.2 innings of work. Lefty Jim Birmingham tossed two innings of hitless ball, striking out two.

UAlbany (1-5) will return to action on Saturday, taking on Creighton at 11 a.m. The Great Danes have faced the Blue Jays once before, in the 2007 NCAA Fayetteville Regional.

-agate-

IPFW (1-4) 100 410 000 - 6 10 0

UAlbany 000 013 23x - 9 12 3

IPFW: Samuel Walker, Stacy Herrold (5), Andrew Emge (7), Matt Antos (8) and Devin Taylor.

UAlbany: Josh Willimott, Sean Gregory (5) and Ryan Gugel.



UAlbany (1-5) 000 000 0 - 0 3 1

Coastal Carolina (9-1) 040 053 x - 12 11 0

UAlbany: Chris Ott, Cory Warrings (3), Eric Cortland (5) and Ryan Gugel.

Coastal Carolina: Anthony Meo, Jim Birmingham (6) and Evan Noell.