Feb. 28, 2008

Box Score

DEMOREST, Ga. - Steve Vanderheyden picked a good moment for the team's first homer of the season as he lifted one out of the park in the top of the eighth inning breaking a 3-3 tie and giving Adrian their third straight win to open the season with a 4-3 win over Piedmont. Vanderheyden's lone hit in four at-bats was a solo shot which gave the pitching win to Nick Vandike (1-0). Vandike hurled the final four innings for the Bulldogs and allowed three hits and no runs with two strikeouts.

Josh Lancaster got the start for Adrian and went five innings surrendering two earned runs, six hits and four walks. He also struck out four and faced 27 batters on the day. The Lions took a 1-0 lead after one inning but the Bulldogs tied the game in the top of the second as Alex Cowart reached on a fielder's choice and was credited with an RBI as Brett Miskokomon scored from third to knot things at 1-1.

Adrian added a single run in the top of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Jake Cappelletty's run-scoring single plated Brian Bilius with two outs. Piedmont answered right back in the home half of the fourth making it 2-2. The Bulldogs regained the lead at 3-2 in the fifth as Todd Meyers scored from second on an RBI single off the bat of Nick Sarkissian. Piedmont tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth and neither team could score until the eighth when Vanderheyden homered to leadoff the inning.

Meyers, Kris Powell and Alex Cowart each had two hits as Adrian has had 10 or more hits in every game this season. Adrian (3-0) will travel to Birmingham Southern for a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 1:00 p.m.