March 23, 2005
BIRMINGHAM - The Flyer baseball team improved to 12-6 overall with an 8-2 win at Samford Wednesday at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The Flyers have now won six of their last seven entering their Atlantic 10 Conference opener this weekend. UD will face St. Bonaventure in a three-game set on Saturday and Sunday at Time Warner Cable Stadium.
Seniors Drew Chesebro and Brooks Hazelbaker combined to shut down the Samford (4-13) offense for most of the day. Chesebro earned the win in his first start of the season after scattering eight hits to allow just two runs over 5.1 innings pitched. Hazelbaker finished the final 3.1 innings on the mound for his first save of the year. He surrendered just two hits while fanning a pair of Bulldog batters.
Junior Craig Rohren had his best day at the plate this year. He was 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and an RBI.
Leadoff batter Michael Massa finished 2-for-4 with a walk, stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI.
William Benoit was 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI while Brandon Godzik was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Flyers.
The Flyer jumped out to a 3-0 lead in first at bat. Massa led off with a single to right on the first pitch of the game. He then stole second and both Getty and Godzik followed with walks to load the bases. McSoley was plunked in the first pitch of his at bat to plate UD's first run of the game. Benoit then followed with a two-RBI single through the left side of the Samford infield to put Dayton ahead by three.
UD added to its lead in the third. Getty was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. He then stole second on a 3-1 count and scored on the next pitch as Godzik hit a single up the middle for his 17th RBI of the season. After SU switched pitchers, Godzik moved to second on a groundout and then scored on a throwing error by the Bulldog shortstop. Benoit to reach base safely on the play and ended up on second base. After another groundout, Rohren delivered with an RBI single up the middle to send home Benoit. A single by Burt and an RBI single by Massa would push the Flyer lead to 7-0 and force the second pitching change of the inning by Samford.
SU got on the board in the bottom of the third as the Bulldogs had a single and a double with one out to put runners on second and third. Samford then sent its first runner to the plate on a sacrifice fly to left centerfield and cut the Flyer lead to 7-1 after three complete innings.
The Bulldogs scored again in the fourth as a triple to left centerfield turned into SU's second run of the day on an RBI groundout to make the score 8-2 in favor of Dayton.
Dayton stretched its lead back to six in the sixth due to a hustle play by Massa. The sophomore led off the inning with a walk. He then attempted to steal second and advanced all the way to third on a passed ball. Schumm lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Massa scored for the second time in the game and 18th time this season to finish the scoring with UD on top 8-2. |
