Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The chilly weather in Memphis made the Edgewood College baseball team feel right at home for their season opener at Christian Brothers University. Save for one tough inning, the Eagles help up pretty well against an NCAA Division II opponent that already had played 13 games, rallying for three runs in the final two innings before falling 6-4 to the Bucs.
Edgewood College (0-1) started senior Kyle Smith on the pitching mound, but head coach Al Brisack opted to throw nine different pitchers in an effort to save his staff's arms before their eight game Florida trip. After Christian Brothers University (11-3) scored one run in the first, the Eagles responded with a run in the second. Designated hitter Mike Selvaggi roped a double to right center field and scored when the Bucs committed a throwing error on Andrew King's ground ball. Selvaggi's double marked his 18th consecutive game with a hit, extending his streak that dates back to last season.
The Eagles stayed out of major trouble until the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman pitcher Trevor Koehn was touched for five runs on five hits, with the big blow being a bases-loaded double by Alfredo Arroyo that plated three runs. The Bucs 6-1 lead held up through seven innings.
Edgewood College, however, managed to put themselves in position to win or tie in the final two innings led by their freshmen hitters. In the eighth, freshman Alex Jaskulski singled and scored on an RBI groundout by Ryan Walker. Two batters later, another freshman Nate Ramsden stroked a single to left the scored Brandon Bartles from second base.
In the ninth, King walked and Treye Dennison singled to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. After an Eagle strikeout, Jaskulski singled up the middle scoring pinch runner Casey Kula from second base. Unfortunately, Bucs closer Matt Wigington recovered to strikeout the final two batters of the game to seal the victory.
Jaskulski was the only Eagle with multiple hits, going 2-for-2, while Selvaggi had the only extra base hit among the Eagles' eight hits. Freshmen Ryan O'Dell and Ramsden recorded their first career collegiate hits. O'Dell, who started at third base, became the first Eagle freshman to start a season opening game since 2008. Besides the fourth inning, the Eagle pitching staff held the Bucs to one run on five hits.
After some Memphis bar-b-que the Eagles will load the bus and continue on to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Eagles will open the invitational with a doubleheader against Ripon College on Sunday.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The chilly weather in Memphis made the Edgewood College baseball team feel right at home for their season opener at Christian Brothers University. Save for one tough inning, the Eagles help up pretty well against an NCAA Division II opponent that already had played 13 games, rallying for three runs in the final two innings before falling 6-4 to the Bucs.
Edgewood College (0-1) started senior Kyle Smith on the pitching mound, but head coach Al Brisack opted to throw nine different pitchers in an effort to save his staff's arms before their eight game Florida trip. After Christian Brothers University (11-3) scored one run in the first, the Eagles responded with a run in the second. Designated hitter Mike Selvaggi roped a double to right center field and scored when the Bucs committed a throwing error on Andrew King's ground ball. Selvaggi's double marked his 18th consecutive game with a hit, extending his streak that dates back to last season.
The Eagles stayed out of major trouble until the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman pitcher Trevor Koehn was touched for five runs on five hits, with the big blow being a bases-loaded double by Alfredo Arroyo that plated three runs. The Bucs 6-1 lead held up through seven innings.
Edgewood College, however, managed to put themselves in position to win or tie in the final two innings led by their freshmen hitters. In the eighth, freshman Alex Jaskulski singled and scored on an RBI groundout by Ryan Walker. Two batters later, another freshman Nate Ramsden stroked a single to left the scored Brandon Bartles from second base.
In the ninth, King walked and Treye Dennison singled to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. After an Eagle strikeout, Jaskulski singled up the middle scoring pinch runner Casey Kula from second base. Unfortunately, Bucs closer Matt Wigington recovered to strikeout the final two batters of the game to seal the victory.
Jaskulski was the only Eagle with multiple hits, going 2-for-2, while Selvaggi had the only extra base hit among the Eagles' eight hits. Freshmen Ryan O'Dell and Ramsden recorded their first career collegiate hits. O'Dell, who started at third base, became the first Eagle freshman to start a season opening game since 2008. Besides the fourth inning, the Eagle pitching staff held the Bucs to one run on five hits.
After some Memphis bar-b-que the Eagles will load the bus and continue on to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Eagles will open the invitational with a doubleheader against Ripon College on Sunday.