April 5, 2008

Box Score

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -

            The University of Northern Iowa baseball team recorded 13 hits on the way to a 12-4 win at Indiana State Saturday afternoon. Guido Fonseca earned the win for the Panthers, moving him to 6-0 on the season.

            Fonseca gave up four runs on six hits while striking out five in 6.1 innings of work. Matt Shelton (2-1) was charged with the loss.

            Brandon Douglas was 3-of-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Brett Featherston was 2-of-3 from the plate with two runs scored and a double, and Dane Embury was 2-of-4 with three runs scored for UNI. Eddie Almonte was 2-of-4 with three RBIS, and Brett Douglas finished 1-of-3 with two runs scored and 3 RBIs.

            Dane Embury hit a one-out single into right center in the top of the first. Brandon Douglas followed with a single through the right side, and Chris Lopez hit a double into the right corner to score Embury and Douglas. ISU opted to give Brett Featherston a free pass, and when Shelton hit Travis Hendrix it loaded the bases with two out. Eddie Almonte drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Lopez and giving the Panthers (15-10, 4-1) a 3-0 lead.

            Indiana State's (8-16, 4-3) Gary King led off the bottom half of that inning with a walk. He moved to third when a pick-off attempt skipped past Featherston and into right. Fonseca robbed Nick Ciolli of a base hit when he snagged a sharply-hit ground ball and looked King back before throwing out Ciolli at first. Brady Shoemaker hit a home run over the left field wall to cut the UNI lead to 3-2. Fonseca got Zane Chavez to ground out to end the inning.

            Embury and Brandon Douglas each put together one-out singles in the top of the second. They both advanced on a ground out from Lopez, and ISU intentionally walked Featherston to load the bases. Brett Douglas drove a single up through the middle, scoring both Embury and Brandon Douglas and extending UNI's lead to 5-2.

            Ryan Strausborger led off the bottom of the third with a double down the left line. King singled to score Strausborger, cutting the Panther edge to 5-3. UNI retired the next three batters to keep the damage in that inning to one run.

            Brett Douglas was hit by a pitch with two out in the top of the fourth. Hendrix drew a walk to give Panthers runners at first and second. Almonte singled up the middle to score Douglas and give UNI a 6-3 lead.

            In the top of the fifth, Embury drew a walk and Brandon Douglas and Featherston were each hit by pitches to load the bases. Clay Kovak walked Brett Douglas and Travis Hendrix to score Embury and Brandon Douglas.  Almonte was hit a pitch to send Featherston home, and Brett Douglas scored on a wild pitch to put UNI in front 10-3.

            Lopez hit a leadoff single in the top of the seventh. Featherston followed with a double down the right field line, advancing Lopez to third. Brett Douglas hit a ground ball to short. ISU shortstop Pascual Del Real threw to home, and third baseman David Brumagin was able to tag out Lopez. That was not before Featherston moved to third and Douglas advanced to second, however. Travis Hendrix put down a sacrifice bunt to score Featherston and give the Panthers an 11-3 advantage.

            Deric Manrique drew a one-out walk in the top of the eighth. He stole second and scored on a two-out single into left by Brandon Douglas.

            The Panthers outhit ISU 13-7. The Panthers stranded 14 base runners in the game.

            The win evens the three-game series at one game each. The teams will meet in the rubber match Sunday at noon.