March 5, 2006

SAVANNAH, Ga.--On Chase Gilbert's one-out single to left in the bottom of the 10th, Harold Walker scored the game-winning run in the Savannah College of Art and Design's (13-7, 5-2 in FSC) 4-3 win over St. Thomas University (8-8, 2-5 in FSC) in Florida Sun Conference baseball action Friday night at Grayson Stadium.

Tim Davis, who had pitched brilliantly in his first three innings of relief, allowed a one-out single by Walker in the 10th and the SCAD centerfielder moved to second on an errant curveball that squirted by catcher Juan Mora. Gilbert then ripped a single between short and third. Juan Santana charged hard from left and his throw was accurate, but the speedy Walker reached home safely with the winning run.

Adam Honeycutt, who started the game at catcher, allowed just a hit and a walk in three and two-thirds spotless innings of relief work to pick up the win for the Bees.

The game started well for the Bobcats as they got on the board first thanks to patience and speed. Alex Pascual, back in action after a shoulder injury sidelined him for eight games, walked to lead of the first and stole second, moving to third on an errant throw down. Santana later walked and Pascual scampered home on a double steal for a 1-0 lead.

SCAD evened the score on a James O'Connell triple to right and a two-out single deep in the shortstop hole by Gilbert.

In the second, the Bobcats loaded the bases on two walks sandwiched around a Jojo Gutierrez infield single. Bees starting pitcher then threw a wild pitch to Adrian F. Gonzalez and courtesy runner Devin Delacruz - running for Mora - sprinted home to give St. Thomas a 2-1 lead.

Gonzalez, with the help of Juan Mora, took a SCAD run off the board in the second when, with Richard Sullivan on third and one out, he charged Casey Allen's shallow fly to center and threw Sullivan out at the plate with Mora blocking his way.

SCAD took the lead in the fourth. Ryan Strefling tripled just off the outstretched glove of Gonzalez in deep center. Adam Honeycutt then reached on an infield single before Nathan Hager's bunt down the first baseline went for a hit when there was no one covering first for the Bobcats. Strefling scored on the play. Casey Allen's one-out grounder to short scored SCAD's second run for a 3-2 lead.

The Bobcats evened the score in the seventh thanks to a lead-off double by Pascual down the rightfield line. Consecutive groundouts by Gonzalez and Santana moved Pascual to third and home for the tying run.

Tim Davis got St. Thomas starting pitcher Ivan Izquierdo out of a jam in the seventh. After Adam Freeman singled to right and Izquierdo plunked both O'Connell and Walker to load the bases, Davis' 0-1 breaking ball eluded Gilbert's bunt attempt and Freeman was tagged out by Mora on the failed suicide squeeze. Davis then caught Gilbert looking to end the threat.

After SCAD's thwarted seventh-inning rally, neither team got a runner past first base until the final Bees at bat.

Izquierdo, though working with less than optimal command, fought through six and two-thirds tough innings, allowing just three runs on nine hits and a walk. He fanned four.

SCAD's starting pitcher Cahill had an equally difficult time locating the strikezone, especially early in the game. Working with a high pitch count, he still managed to pitch six and two-thirds innings allowing three runs - two earned - on four hits and four walks, while fanning five.

St. Thomas victimized itself by not making productive outs. The Bobcats had runners on first and second with no one out in both the third and fourth innings, but St. Thomas was held without a run in both innings as no runner even advanced to third in either frame.

The Bobcats and Bees take to the field Saturday to complete the three-game series with a doubleheader. The first pitch for game one at Grayson Stadium is set for 1 p.m.