Junior Aaron Ammann (Winnetka, Calif.) delivered a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth to score freshman Pete Eddings (Louisville, Ky.) to give the Centre College baseball team a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Transylvania University Thursday, March 1 at Gary Wright Field in Danville, Ky.
The Pioneers struck first with a run in the top of the first on a fielder's choice to make it 1-0. The Colonels evened the score in the third. With two outs, junior outfielder Danny Freudiger (Cincinnati, Ohio) singled. Sophomore outfielder Sean Cole (Teaneck, N.J.) followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Sophomore outfielder Cody Nelson (Joelton, Tenn.) then singled up the middle to score Freudiger to tie the game at 1-1.
The score remained that way until the top of the sixth. Ken Riley walked to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a passed ball and then to third on a wild pitch. Johnny Renz singled to score Riley and give Transylvania a 2-1 lead.
Down one in the bottom of the eighth, Freudiger reached on an error. After he stole second, Cole was retired for the second out of the inning. Nelson was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, bringing up senior catcher Cameron Fishman (Northridge, Calif.). The fourth-year backstop singled to score Freudiger and tie the game at two apiece.
After a scoreless Pioneer ninth, Eddings, who had entered the game defensively in the eighth, singled up the middle to start the innning. Junior outfielder Matt Freire (Frankfort, Ky.) sacrificed him to second, and a wild pitch sent Eddings to third with one out.
Junior Jason Osterman (Monroe, Ohio) pinch hit and drew a walk. With the infield drawn in, he stole second to put runners on second and third.
Ammann stepped to the plate and found himself in an early 0-2 count, but fouled off some pitches and worked the count to 3-2. He then sent the full-count pitch down the right field line to score Eddings and give Centre its second victory of the season, both via walk-off hits.
Fishman finished with a pair of hits and an rbi to lead the Colonels offensively, while Freudiger reached base three times and scored twice.
Three Centre pitchers combined to allow only two runs on eight hits. Sophomore Kyle DeLong (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) started and went five innings. He allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Junior Tommy Munoz (Ft. Myers, Fla.) entered in the sixth to throw three scoreless innings and was followed by senior Brian Bascom (Cincinnati, Ohio), who threw a scoreless ninth to earn his first victory of the season.
Centre, now 2-5 overall, will host Calvin College Saturday, March 3 at 12 p.m. and then play Defiance College at 7 p.m. the same day at Gary Wright Field.