Box Score
LOVES PARK, Ill. – Fans of great pitching performances needed to be at the opening game of the 2010 Northern Athletics Conference Baseball Tournament. Aurora University's Steve Salazar and Edgewood College's Scott Winters put on a show from the mound, but it was Salazar's Spartans who eventually upended the top-seeded Eagles 4-2 in the Friday morning opener.
Aurora University, the tournament's fourth seed, posted a pair of runs in the second inning thanks to some aggressive baserunning. Josh Davidson hit a one-out single and moved up to third base on a hit-and-run single by Tim Mackey. Mackey stole second to put two runners into scoring position prior to Matt Anklam's RBI groundout. The Eagles had a chance to get out of the inning without further damage, but Joe Singraber's ground ball went deep into the hole on the left side, and he beat the throw to first base for an RBI single.
Meanwhile, Salazar was holding Edgewood College (27-14) at bay. He allowed no hits until a leadoff single by the Eagles' Steve Binder in the fifth inning. Salazar lasted until the eighth inning, allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out 10.
The Spartans added to their lead with a pair of solo home runs. First, it was Kirk Williamson whose opposite field fly ball carried just over the right field fence to lead off the fourth inning. Then, in the seventh inning, Anklam smoked a line drive home run over the right field fence to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead.
Edgewood College finally mounted a threat in the eighth inning. Scott Ortega hit a one-out single, followed shortly by a base on balls issued to Treye Dennison. The next batter, Erik Massey, reached when Spartan catcher Williamson was called for catchers' interference to load the bases. Salazar then proceeded to walk the Eagles' leading hitter Jimy Landwehr on four pitches, prompting Aurora manager Shaun Neitzel to go to the bullpen. Shawn Gorsline entered to face Tim Barry, Edgewood College's all-time home run record holder, with the bases loaded. Barry put a drive into a ball into right center field, but Singraber snared it before it reached the gap, holding the Eagles to a sacrifice fly and keeping their 4-2 advantage. The threat ended when Landwehr was caught stealing on well-timed pitch out.
Bobby Wilson led the Spartans attack, going 3-for-4 on the game. No other Spartan had multiple hits in their nine-hit attack. Gorsline earned his fourth save of the season by getting the final five outs. Edgewood College's Binder and Mike Selvaggi extended their hitting streaks to 14-games each, but the Eagles managed only five hits for the game. Winters fired a complete game for the Eagles, allowing four earned runs on nine hits and striking out seven.
Aurora University (25-14) advances to Game 3 matchup at 4:00 on Friday, with the winner of the Rockford College-Concordia University Wisconsin game. Edgewood College will now face an elimination game at 7:30 p.m. tonight.
