Baseball: Saints take two from Crusaders

April 20, 2007

Lacey, WA – Solid pitching performances from Pat Capone and Tip Wonhoff helped Saint Martin’s University defeat Northwest Nazarene University in both games of Friday’s doubleheader, 9-0 in game one and 2-1 in game two.

Capone shut down the Crusader offense in game one throwing just the second complete game shutout by a Saint Martin’s pitcher in a conference game in the six year history of the GNAC. He allowed just five hits and walked two while striking out five.

The Saints jumped ahead early in game one posting a three spot in the first inning on four hits and took advantage of a Crusader error. The added one run in each of the next two innings, on a double by Adam Siler in the third and on a sacrifice bunt by Vince Maughan in the fourth.

In the seventh Shane Schoeneberg singled to right, stole second and scored on a bunt single by Curtis Thibault and another NNU error which allowed Thibault to get to third. Pinch hitter Andy Cole picked up an RBI with his own bunt single.

The Saints capped off their scoring in the eighth. With one out Nate Baker and Siler were both hit by pitches and came around to score on a double by Schoeneberg.

Schoeneberg had three hits and three RBI in the game. Siler, Thibault, Richard O’Neill and Andrew Salinas each had two hits.

Nick Ray was the only Crusader to pick up more then one hit going 2-4 with two infield hits.

Wonhoff continued to stifle the Crusader bats in game two holding them scoreless until the sixth. Nicholas Hawes led off the inning with a double, advanced to second on a fly out and scored on a ground out by Tim Puckett.

Wonhoff threw all seven innings and allowed just one earned run on seven hits while striking out two. He did not walk a batter in the contest.

SMU got their only two runs in the third. After hitting Thibault, Alex VanOeveren walked Maki Smith and Baker to load the bases. Siler hit a two-run single which was all the Saints needed to earn the victory.

The Saints wrap up the series against NNU tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at noon.