Noonan's Catch Helps Breds to 4-3 Victory

Friday, February 26

Murray, Ky.

2 p.m.

Murray State

South Dakota State

2/26/2010 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Murray State left fielder Zach Noonan's outstanding diving catch in the gap in left center ended a South Dakota State rally in the top of the eighth inning and kept the Breds lead at one as MSU held on for a hard-fought 4-3 decision Friday afternoon in the home opener at Reagan Field.

With MSU leading 3-2 in the top of the eighth, Jeff Fish doubled into the gap in right center and was sacrificed to third. Breds reliever Dan Huff was able to get a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but hit the next batter to put runners on the corners. Jesse Sawyer ripped a ball into the gap in left center that looked to tie the game, but Noonan laid out to make the grab and end the inning.

“Noonan made as great of a defensive play in a crucial situation as you will ever see,” stated head coach Rob McDonald.

The Breds (4-0) got on the board in the second as Bryan Propst hit a leadoff home run to left field, his third of the season.

SDSU (0-1) got the run back in the third as Andrew Melton drew a one-out walk and stole second. Billy Stitz drove him in with a base hit through the right side.

MSU regained the lead in the fifth as Propst started the frame with a walk and went to second on Jonathan Craycraft's groundout to the right side. Noonan plated the runner with a blooper just over the head of the second baseman. After a stolen base, Elliot Frey drove in the second run of the inning with a base hit to center.

The Jacks scratched across an unearned run in the sixth as Stitz singled through the right side and went to second on a groundout. Joel Blake's grounder to short was mishandled, putting runners on the corners with one out. Sawyer followed with a sacrifice fly to center as Frey made a diving catch.

The Breds added the eventual game-winning run in the eighth as they took advantage of a costly error in the outfield by the Jacks. With one out, Daniel Hill's fly ball into right center caused some confusion in the outfield and the ball fell to the ground. With Hill on second, Jason Laws delivered an RBI single up the middle.

SDSU did not go quietly in the ninth as Zach Rhodes delivered a one-out triple into right center and scored on Zach Briggs' single over the heading of the leaping shortstop. Huff ended the rally there as he got a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

Chris Craycraft (2-0) earned the victory after allowing one earned run on four hits and four strikeouts over seven innings. Huff (2) picked up the save after giving up one run in two innings. Mike Robinson (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs on five hits over 5.2 innings.

Propst continued his hot start by going 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored. Wes Cunningham also added two hits.

“They are a tough team and have a lot of good hitters,” said McDonald. “Chris pitched well and pitched himself out of a couple jams. Their pitching was good and I thought we competed pretty well.”

The Breds and Jacks play the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at Reagan Field.