Murray State
Arkansas-Little Rock
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Thoroughbreds Pick Up First Win Of The Season
3/4/2006 6:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Murray State Thoroughbreds picked up their first win of the season on the strength of sophomore right-hander Michal Perconte, who pitched a complete-game two-hitter in MSU's 4-0 win over visiting Arkansas-Little Rock in the second game of a double-header today.
In the fourth inning,
Perconte (1-1) went the distance, allowing two hits, striking out eight and walking three in seven innings. Six ?Breds each had singles on offense, while the defense was led by catcher Daniel Miller, who had eight putouts, and first baseman Leidolf, who had two assists.
For UALR (9-6), Rob Harmon (1-2) went the distance, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits, striking out six and walking one in six innings. First baseman Brett Lawler had seven putouts to lead the Trojans, while second baseman Brian Asbill had a team-high four assists.
In the first game of the twinbill, Murray State pushed out to a 4-2 lead in the second inning and held the lead through five innings, but UALR inched back with a run in the fourth inning, one in the sixth, five in the seventh and one in the eighth for the 10-5 win.
Trailing 2-0 in the second inning,
At the plate, the ?Breds were led by Payton, who went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Mullins had two hits and two runs batted in, while Ebert had two hits, including a double, and Swain had two hits.
For UALR, Brian Smiley went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, while Matt King had three hits, including a double and a triple, and two runs.
Andrew Bishop (0-1) pitched well early on, but took the loss, allowing nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits, striking out three and walking three in 6-2/3 innings. Jon Newton entered in the seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out one in one-third of an inning. Marc Harmon closed out the game, allowing one run on three hits in two innings.
Matt Bates (1-1) got the complete-game win for UALR, allowing five runs on 10 hits, striking out three and walking one in nine innings.
On defense, the ?Breds were led by first baseman Perconte, who had 11 putouts, and second baseman Hudson, who had eight assists. For the Trojans, first baseman Lawler had a team-high 10 putouts, while shortstop Derek Eilers had four assists.
“With the people that we play, it's always going to be a battle,” said MSU head coach Rob McDonald. “I feel like our guys will always keep fighting. In the first game, we got off to a good start, but didn't do much more. The second game was all Perconte and how well he pitched. We got enough hitting and were able to pull out the win.
“Our record is not where we wanted it to be, but I see our team doing the things it needs to do. We had a couple of outstanding plays late in the game, and things like that show me we are doing what we need to do to win.”
