CBU Splits With UNA in Non-Conference Match-Up
By Rori Eddie

Memphis, TN--In the end, one is better than none. That became the Christian Brothers University baseball team’s mantra today at Buc Field, as the Bucs split the double-header with the University of North Alabama, taking game one 3-2 before falling 1-12 in game two.

Senior right-hand hurler Steven Oelke pitched a complete game, surrendering only two runs on six hits while striking out six UNA Lions. The one-run victory moves the Pre-Season All-Gulf South Conference selection to a 1-0 mark in the early 2002 campaign.

CBU would find the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second, as senior Zac Clements ripped an 0-1 fastball to deep left field, handing the Bucs the 1-0 advantage. It was Clements first homerun of the year.

Two batters later, with a hits batsmen already aboard, Wes Hoover laced a single through the right side of the infield. Angelo Lucchesi would follow-up with a seeing-eye single through the left side, filling the bases with CBU runners. An off on the pitch Brian DeJean slid safely across the plate on a Kevin Loeffler suicide bunt, putting the Bucs up 2-0 after 2 innings.

North Alabama would respond in the top of the fifth, as Douglas Hargett and John Torisky successfully reached base on back-to-back singles, and both scored on a Brandon Kizer single.

The Buccaneers would fight back in their half of the fifth, as Rusty Cagle had an inning-starting double to left field on an 0-1 count. A Clements ground out would advance Cagle to third before a Jason Whitehead sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead Buc run.

Hoover finished game one with a 2-for-3 effort from the plate, while Joey Perry collected his second double of the young season on a 1-for-3 game one.

The North Alabama Lions would roar back in game two of the double-header, plating 17 runs on 21 hits to take the 17-1 victory. CBU would trot out eight pitchers to the mound, with each allowing at least one UNA hit. The Buccaneer pitching staff gave up four UNA homeruns, with Chad McCoy belting out two on the day. Meanwhile, North Alabama’s Tatum Brown and Jason Pischke combined for the one-hit, one-run win, while striking out seven Buccaneer batters.

Freshman Tommy Hiegel owned the lone CBU hit, dropping a looping flyball to left field on the first pitch for his first collegiate hit. Latarius Harris scored the Bucs only run of game two in the bottom of the first, as the sophomore transfer sprinted home on the Clements RBI.

North Alabama climbed to 3-2 on the season, while CBU owns a 2-1 record on the season. The Buccaneers will return to Buc Field tomorrow, February 17th, as CBU plays host to William Penn University (Iowa) in a seven-inning double-header beginning at noon.