April 7, 2009
GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Southwestern baseball team dropped a tough 5-3 decision to Texas Lutheran University on Tuesday afternoon at Rockwell Field. The Pirates drop to 15-17 (8-6 SCAC) with the loss, while TLU improves to 23-11 with the win.
The Pirates got on the scoreboard in the first inning on an RBI groundout from John Wooten, giving Southwestern a 1-0 advantage, but the Bulldogs answered in the top of the second inning with three runs to take a 3-1 lead.
Mark Noggle launched a solo homer over the left-centerfield scoreboard in the second inning to cut the Pirates’ deficit to 3-2. Texas Lutheran added a run in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 4-2, but the Pirates responded an inning later on Nick Ashford’s RBI single to make it a 4-3 contest after six innings.
TLU extended its lead back to two runs in the seventh inning on an RBI double to make the score 5-3. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Matt Clark reached base on an error to lead off the frame but the Pirates were unable to mount a rally, as the Bulldogs went on to claim the 5-3 victory.
Churchwell incurred the loss for Southwestern, while Patrick Pederson picked up the win to improve to 2-0. Tom Hembree recorded the save for the Bulldogs.
Noggle led the Pirates’ offense with his third homer of the season, while Kyle Belski notched a pair of hits. Up next, the Pirates visit Trinity University in San Antonio for a three-game series beginning on Apr. 10 at 2 p.m.