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Southwestern University

PIRATES START SEASON WITH A BANG, DEFEAT UH-VICTORIA 2-0

PIRATES START SEASON WITH A BANG, DEFEAT UH-VICTORIA 2-0
Posted: Feb 01, 2010

GEORGETOWN, Texas - Pitching and strong defense led the Pirates to a 2-0 victory against NAIA University of Houston-Victoria Jaguars in Southwestern's season opener on Sunday. Three Pirate pitchers combined to shut out UH-V while allowing just one hit.

Starter Brantley Freeman worked out of his only jam of the afternoon with a runner on 3rd and one out in the first with a strike out and a fly ball. After that, Freeman never looked back and allowed one hit over 7 innings. Freeman’s quick pace and attacking style kept hitters off balance all day.

Sophomore pitcher Aaron Garza and junior closer Kyle Belski combined in the 8th and 9th to close out the game. Neither pitcher allowed a hit and the Jaguars managed one base runner in the last two innings.

The Pirate bats were out in full force by racking up 9 hits a several deep line drives and fly balls that were just barely held in the park by a breeze blowing straight in from center field.

Senior leadoff man and center fielder Todd Boone lead off the game with a sharp single up the middle. A sacrifice bunt by third baseman Chris Lowry and walks to first baseman Kyle Belski and first year catcher Johnny Gavrel loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first. A sliding play by the UH-V third baseman saved what could have been an RBI single by sophomore second baseman Nate Shipp and got the Jaguars out of a scary first inning.

The second inning saw the Pirates draw first blood. With one out, junior designated hitter Patrick Keenan drove a line drive over the head of the Jaguar right fielder for a double. A perfectly placed drag bunt by senior short stop Matt Clark moved Keenan to third and Todd Boone drove home the game’s first run on a single to left field.

Later, in the fifth, with Kyle Belski on second and senior right fielder John Wooten on first, Gavrel drove a ball to deep center field that allowed Belski to move to 3rd. Nate Shipp’s hit by pitch loaded the bases to set up sophomore left fielder Cray Betts’ sacrifice fly to center field.

Southwestern continues their non-conference action with a road game at Texas Wesleyan on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 pm.