Chris Taylor drove in four runs in Charlotte's Sunday series clinching defeat to Duquesne. |
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Duquesne Scores Early, Holds Off Late Charlotte Rally to Win A-10 Baseball Series
April 27, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - The Duquesne Dukes jumped out to an early lead and were able to hold off the late-charging Charlotte 49ers to win an Atlantic 10 baseball series with an 18-9 Sunday final at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. Duquesne improves to 18-22 overall and into a second-place tie in the standings with Charlotte at 12-6. The Niners fall to 31-12 and the same 12-6 A-10 record.
For the second straight game, Duquesne was able to score in the first. Derek Mechling hit a leadoff single through the right side of the infield and Aaron Janusey blasted a first-pitch home run over the left field fence to get the first runs of the game. Three walks and a hit batter later, the Dukes had another and led 3-0 after the first half-inning.
Duquesne piled on four more in the third, all unearned. Three RBI came on the bat of catcher Derek Mechling, on a three-run homer to left field with two outs.
Charlotte got a run back in the fourth, on an RBI single from Rob Lyerly, scoring Brad McElroy, who had walked to start the inning.
Both teams exploded offensively in the fifth. Duquesne started by plating eight runs on eight hits, including a solo homer by right fielder Mark Tracy. The Dukes scored with a bases loaded on back-to-back wild pitches and three RBI singles in that frame.
Charlotte answered with six in the bottom half, including back-to-back home runs by catcher Chris Taylor and first baseman Rob Lyerly, their 15th and 12th homers of the season. Taylor's brought home three. That made the score 15-7 Dukes.
Each team scored a run in the seventh, Duquesne's coming on a solo homer to center by designated hitter Pat Kimutis and Charlotte's coming on a sacrifice fly by Chris Taylor.
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Charlotte scored another in the eighth on back-to-back doubles by Alan Parks and O'Brien Taylor, with Taylor's driving in Parks for a 16-9 Dukes lead.
Duquesne added another pair in the ninth, with Eric Morrison recording an RBI on a sacrifice fly and Derek Fallecker driving in a run with an RBI single.
Charlotte freshman starter Ryan Rivers left after two innings. He allowed three runs on four hits and three strikeouts to get the loss (1-2).
Despite allowing seven runs, Duquesne starting pitcher Gary Pierpont lasted five innings to get his first win of the season (1-3). He allowed nine hits and one walk.
Duquesne's Mechling and Charlotte's Chris Taylor each drove in the game-high of four runs for their teams.
After playing all five games this week at home, Charlotte hits the road this week for the final time in the regular season. The next Charlotte game is at Winthrop on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
NOTES: The Niners have tallied 46 home runs this season, belting 30 at home. Charlotte had 23 home runs through 43 games last season and 37 for the entire season. The Niners have hit back-to-back homers three times this season, with Taylor including himself in all three and Lyerly involved in a pair of scenarios. Taylor's 59 total RBI this season are reeling in Brad McElroy's 68 from a year ago (the fifth-best total in program history) and are just one off Taylor's own 60 from 2007.
