The Rise of the Carnegie Mellon Tartans (MVP 07 NCAA Baseball)

[Careless Whisper]

CMU Wastes Game 2 Gem, Continues Losing Streak Versus Gonzaga
Hector Karl threw six shutout innings in Game 2, but the Tartans saw their losing streak hit seven with two defeats

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Carnegie Mellon’s losing streak reached seven games with defeats of 12-2 and 3-1 against Gonzaga this past weekend.

Carnegie Mellon (3-20) had a prime opportunity to snap the slide in Game 2, as senior right-hander Hector Karl threw six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and three walks. Karl left with a 1-0 lead after a two-out RBI double by junior designated hitter Tyler Tully in the bottom of the sixth inning, but junior southpaw Elpidio MacLean gave it right back at the top of the seventh with a first-pitch homerun to Jacob Donaldson.

A two-run triple by Luis Wright in the top of the 10th was enough for Gonzaga (14-11) to come away with a 3-1 win. Tully finished 3-of-4 at the dish with a pair of doubles.

Game 1 featured more struggles against a strong opponent, as the Tartans fell 12-2. The Bulldogs alternated between one and three runs in the first four innings to take an 8-0 lead.

Sophomore right-hander Bryan Paronto took the loss after giving up six earned runs on seven hits and two walks in 3.2 innings. The hosts’ run-scoring plays came on a Tully RBI single in the sixth and sacrifice fly from senior leftfielder Ryan Rayner in the eighth.

Carnegie Mellon is back in Atlantic 10 action on Tuesday, as it begins a two-game series at home against Fordham.

-----------------------

Gonzaga Bulldogs (12-11) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (3-18)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Hans Lobert Field

Game 1 – March 24, 2007
ZAGS | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 0
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1
W: Rudy Church (2-3) L: Bryan Paronto (1-5)

Gonzaga Statistics
Flash McCormick, Fr., CF | 2-6, R, 2B, RBI
Luis Wright, So., 2B | 2-4, 3 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Jeff Tarsi, Jr., LF | 3-4, 4 R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Einar Schweitzer, So., RF | 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB
Rex Welker, Jr., 1B | 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Rudy Church, Jr., SP (W, 2-3) | 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Dru Hutt, Jr., RP | 1.1 IP, 3 BB, 1 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Kit Kreuter, Sr., CF | 1-4, 2B (3), BB, SB (5)
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 1-2, R, 3 BB
Ryan Rayner, Sr., LF | 0-4, RBI (5)
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 1-5
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 2-4, RBI (6)
Bryan Paronto, So., SP (L, 1-5) | 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB
Jamie Boyd, Fr., RP | 2.0 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Game 2 – March 25, 2007
ZAGS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 0
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0
W: Dru Hutt (2-0) L: Matt Uribes (0-3) S: Connor Venema (5)

Gonzaga Statistics
Luis Wright, So., 2B | 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Jacob Donaldson, Jr., C | 2-3, R, HR, RBI
Rex Welker, Jr., 1B | 1-2, 2 BB
Josh Stembridge, Fr., DH | 1-3, R, BB
Desi Crouch, Sr., 3B | 2-4, R
Todd Shannon, Jr., SP | 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Dru Hutt, Jr., RP (W, 2-0) | 4.0 IP, 2 H, 6 K
Connor Venema, Fr., RP (S, 5) | 0.1 IP, 1 H

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 1-5, 2B (4)
Ryan Rayner, Sr., LF | 2-4, R
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 3-4, 2 2B (6), RBI (7)
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 0-4
Adrian Arndt, Fr., C | 1-4
Hector Karl, Sr., SP | 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Scott Dittfurth, So., RP | 2.0 IP, 2 H
Matt Uribes, So., RP (L, 0-3) | 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER

[Careless Whisper]

CMU Snaps Losing Streak, Splits with Fordham
A three-run second inning in Game 1 lifted Carnegie Mellon to a 3-2 win, ending a seven-game slide

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Carnegie Mellon ended its seven-game slide in Game 1 of a two-game series against Fordham, winning 3-2 to open up the set before falling 4-1 in Game 2.

In Game 1, Carnegie Mellon (4-21, 2-4 A-10) only scored in one inning, but it was a three-run rally that proved to be enough against Fordham (11-14, 2-2 A-10). Junior designated hitter Tyler Tully gave the hosts a 2-0 lead with his first homerun of the season, and three batters later senior catcher Joaquin Cormier made it 3-0 with an RBI double.

Junior right-hander Ramon Tillman cruised through six innings, allowing just three hits while striking out eight. The seventh inning wasn’t as kind however, with Sean Hinchman leading off with a single before Mike Helling cranked a two-run homer to left that chased Tillman out of the game.

Freshman right-hander Paxton Jennings entered the contest and loaded the bases, but ultimately escaped. He gave way to sophomore reliever Scott Dittfurth, who stranded a two-out walk in the eighth inning, and freshman righty Einar Reagan posted his first career save by allowing a single hit in the ninth.

Tully and Cormier both had two-hit afternoons, with the latter and freshman third baseman Chris Grieve both tallying doubles.

In Game 2, Fordham scored once in the first, once in the sixth, and twice in the eighth to come away with a 4-1 win.

Sophomore right-hander Bryan Paronto performed well after recent struggles, allowing one run on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings, while striking out five. The Tartans offense couldn’t pick him up though, as Grieve’s RBI double in the bottom of the eighth was the hosts’ only run.

Carnegie Mellon hits the road this weekend, opening up a three-game series at Richmond on Friday, March 30.

-----------------------

Fordham Rams (10-13, 1-1 A-10) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (3-20, 1-3 A-10)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Hans Lobert Field

Game 1 – March 27, 2007
FORD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0
CMU | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 7 | 0
W: Ramon Tillman (1-5) L: Seth Baxter (1-4) S: Einar Reagan (1)

Fordham Statistics
Sean Hinchman, Jr., LF | 2-4, R
Mike Helling, Sr., DH | 1-3, R, HR, 2 RBI
Daniel Pearce, Jr., 1B | 1-4
Josh Bradford, Fr., 2B | 1-3
Seth Baxter, Jr., SP (L, 1-4) | 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 K
Chris Condrey, Sr., RP | 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Will Froemming, Sr., 1B | 1-3, R
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 2-4, R, HR (1), 2 RBI (9)
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 1-3, R, 2B (7)
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 1-3
Joaquin Cormier, Sr., C | 2-3, 2B (2), RBI (3)
Ramon Tillman, Jr., SP (W, 1-5) | 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 K
Scott Dittfurth, So., RP | 1.0 IP, 1 BB
Einar Reagan, Fr., RP (S, 1) | 1.0 IP, 1 H

Game 2 – March 28, 2007
FORD | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0
W: Reynaldo Billick (2-1) L: Bryan Paronto (1-6) S: Rolando D’Argento (4)

Fordham Statistics
Trey Cressend, Jr., RF | 2-5, R, 2B, 3B, RBI
Sean Hinchman, Jr., LF | 2-4, 2B, RBI, BB
Josh Bradford, Fr., 2B | 1-5, RBI
Brian Ehmke, Fr., C | 2-2, R, BB
Justin Borland, Jr., SS | 2-3, R, 2B, RBI
Reynaldo Billick, Sr., SP (W, 2-1) | 7.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
Rolando D’Argento, Sr., RP (S, 4) | 1.0 IP, 3 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Chris Grieve, Fr., SS | 2-4, 2B (8), RBI (8)
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 2-4
Robby Freed, Fr., 2B | 1-4
Joaquin Cormier, Sr., C | 1-3, R, 2B (3)
Bryan Paronto, So., SP (L, 1-6) | 4.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Jeff Hansen, So., RP | 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
Einar Reagan, Fr., RP | 1.0 IP, 1 K

[Careless Whisper]

Tartans Take First Game, Drop Final Two at Richmond
Carnegie Mellon earned another Atlantic 10 win, defeating Richmond in Game 1 of a three-game set

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

RICHMOND, Va. -- Carnegie Mellon made it consecutive series-opening wins at Richmond this weekend, topping the Spiders in Game 1, 4-1, but fell in the next two games, 11-5 and 4-1, to drop the three-game series.

In Game 1, Carnegie Mellon (5-23, 3-6 A-10) fell behind Richmond (9-18, 4-6 A-10) in the first inning, 1-0, and the score remained there until the top of the sixth. Senior leftfielder Ryan Rayner led the frame off with a double, and classmate Will Froemming copied his answers with a RBI double to tie it at 1-1. Junior designated Tyler Tully put runners on the corners with a single, and the Tartans kept the line moving with a Chris Grieve double and Robby Freed single to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage.

After Froemming brought in senior centerfielder Kit Kreuter in the top of the ninth with a groundout, freshman right-hander Einar Reagan picked up the save by striking out the side.

Senior starter Hector Karl was terrific once again in the win, allowing four hits, three walks, and an unearned run in five innings while striking out eight. Freed finished the day with a 2-for-3 performance, and his RBI single was the first of his career.

In Game 2, CMU held a 2-0 advantage through 2.5 innings before Richmond answered with 11 runs over the next five frames to win 11-5.

Freed opened the scoring with a one-out single in the top of the second, then junior shortstop Darrell Salters lifted a solo homerun over the left field fence to make it 2-0 in the third. The Tartans moved back in front briefly in the top of the sixth with a Tully RBI double and Danny Ray Boss reaching on an error, but the bullpen gave it all back as Elpidio MacLean and Matt Uribes gave up four runs in the bottom half of the frame.

Junior right-hander Ramon Tillman allowed six hits, three runs, and two walks over four innings. MacLean took the loss after giving up two runs in a third of an inning. Salters finished the day 2-for-4 with his sixth double and fourth homerun of the season.

Sophomore right-hander Bryan Paronto continued his struggles in Game 3, giving up four runs on eight hits and three walks in 3.1 innings as the Tartans fell to the Spiders, 4-1.

CMU’s lone run came in the top of the ninth, as senior catcher Joaquin Cormier scored on a Tully single.

Craig Huston threw 7.1 shutout innings for Richmond, striking out seven while allowing just five hits.

Carnegie Mellon hosts Rhode Island for a three-game Atlantic 10 series next, beginning on Friday, April 6.

-----------------------

Carnegie Mellon Tartans (4-21, 2-4 A-10) at Richmond Spiders (7-17, 2-5 A-10)
Richmond, Va. – Malcolm U. Pitt Field

Game 1 – March 30, 2007
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1
RICH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0
W: Hector Karl (1-4) L: Andy Harper (4-3) S: Einar Reagan (2)

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Kit Kreuter, Sr., CF | 1-3, SB (6)
Will Froemming, Sr., 1B | 1-5, R, 2B (8), 2 RBI (9)
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 2-5, R
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 1-4, 2B (9), RBI (9)
Robby Freed, Fr., 2B | 2-3, 2B (2), RBI (1)
Hector Karl, Sr., SP (W, 1-4) | 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K
Scott Dittfurth, So., RP | 2.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Einar Reagan, Fr., RP (S, 2) | 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K

Richmond Statistics
Jamie Vogelsong, Jr., CF | 2-4, R, 2B, BB
Ricky Mayhew, Sr., RF | 1-4, 2B
Steve Thater, Sr., LF | 2-3, BB
Jeff Dickson, Jr., C | 1-2, 2 BB
Andy Harper, Jr., SP (L, 4-3) | 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Rontrez Ogilvie, Jr., RP | 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Game 2 – March 31, 2007
CMU | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 1
RICH | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | X | 11 | 14 | 1
W: Andrew Peterson (1-1) L: Elpidio MacLean (0-2)

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 2-4, 2 R, 2B (6), HR (4), RBI (4)
Will Froemming, Sr., 1B | 2-5, R, 2 2B (10)
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 4-5, 2 R, 2 2B (8), 2 RBI (11)
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 1-4
Robby Freed, Fr., 2B | 2-4, 2B (3), RBI (2)
Ramon Tillman, Jr., SP | 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Elpidio MacLean, Jr., RP (L, 0-2) | 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER
Brett Gaston, Jr., RP | 1.0 IP

Richmond Statistics
Jamie Vogelsong, Jr., CF | 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB
Danny Trafton, Fr., DH | 1-4, RBI
Steve Thater, Sr., LF | 1-3, 3 R, BB
Justin Nakayama, Jr., 3B | 1-3, 3B, RBI
Jeff Dickson, Jr., C | 3-4, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Carlos Boyd, Jr., SP | 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 K
Andrew Peterson, Sr., RP (W, 1-1) | 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Game 3 – April 1, 2007
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0
RICH | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 13 | 0
W: Craig Huston (1-6) L: Bryan Paronto (1-7)

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Kit Kreuter, Sr., CF | 1-4
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 1-3, BB
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 1-4, RBI (12)
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 1-3
Joaquin Cormier, Sr., C | 1-3, R, 2B (4)
Bryan Paronto, So., SP (L, 1-7) | 3.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Jeff Hansen, So., RP | 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Richmond Statistics
Jamie Vogelsong, Jr., CF | 1-4, R, 2B
Ricky Mayhew, Sr., RF | 2-3, RBI, SB
Danny Trafton, Fr., DH | 3-4, R
Brandon Jordan, Sr., SS | 2-4, 2B, RBI
Jeff Dickson, Jr., C | 2-4, RBI
Craig Huston, So., SP (W, 1-6) | 7.1 IP, 5 H, 7 K
Walt Joachim, Jr., RP | 0.1 IP, 1 K

[Careless Whisper]

Around the NCAA – March 2007 Wrap-Up
Houston has moved into the top spot of the Baseball America Top 25 rankings, owning a 21-7 record

Baseball America Top 25 Media Poll
1 | Houston (21-7)
2 | Stanford (21-7)
3 | Tennessee (17-7)
4 | St. Bonaventure (20-6)
5 | College of Charleston (19-7)
6 | South Carolina (19-7)
7 | Middle Tennessee (23-7)
8 | Oregon State (21-9)
9 | Western Carolina (22-7)
10 | Oklahoma (18-10)
11 | Florida (14-8)
12 | Texas (16-9)
13 | Furman (19-9)
14 | Long Beach State (19-9)
15 | North Carolina (16-8)
16 | Michigan (19-9)
17 | South Alabama (17-10)
18 | Missouri (18-10)
19 | Saint Louis (18-8)
20 | Hawaii (18-12)
21 | Ohio State (20-9)
22 | Kansas (15-9)
23 | Georgia (15-10)
24 | Rice (18-13)
25 | Miami (Fla.) (13-11)

Golden Spikes Award Watch
Travis Ortiz, Jr., 3B, Oklahoma | 7 HR, .404/.500/.740, 39 RBI, 28 R, 16 SB, 42 H
Jon Clem, Sr., CF, Furman | 9 HR, .449/.520/.921, 27 RBI, 32 R, 13 SB, 40 H
Todd Hess, Sr., CF, Middle Tennessee | 6 HR, .434/.533/.726, 26 RBI, 36 R, 14 SB, 49 H

Roger Clemens Award Watch
Kip Stolp, Jr., RHP, Michigan | 78.2 IP, 6-0, 1.83 ERA, 79 K, 22 BB
Juan Ravago, Sr., RHP, Texas | 58.1 IP, 6-1, 1.85 ERA, 64 K, 14 BB
Adam Serrano, Fr., LHP, Vanderbilt | 13.0 IP, 1-0, 9 SV, 0.00 ERA, 14 K, 10 BB

Baseball America Offensive Player of the Year Watch
Hiram Pellow, Jr., RF, South Carolina | 7 HR, .538/.616/.849, 22 RBI, 25 R, 50 H
Jon Clem, Sr., CF, Furman | 9 HR, .449/.520/.921, 27 RBI, 32 R, 13 SB, 40 H
Rob Bramhall, Sr., RF, Texas A&M | 4 HR, .500/.549/.857, 31 RBI, 18 H, 2 SB, 35 H

Baseball America Freshman of the Year Watch
Kris Grissom, Fr., CF, South Carolina | 2 HR, .423/.516/.641, 18 RBI, 20 R, 7 SB, 33 H
Adam Serrano, Fr., LHP, Vanderbilt | 13.0 IP, 1-0, 9 SV, 0.00 ERA, 14 K, 10 BB
Jeremy Bertram, Fr., C, Tennessee | 3 HR, .312/.427/.500, 20 RBI, 16 R, 6 SB, 25 H

[Careless Whisper]

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

Van Buren to move Kenyon duo down in lineup

Carnegie Mellon is set to shake up its lineup entering April by moving the two transfers from Kenyon College, Kit Kreuter and Darrell Salters, down to the third and fourth slots from the top two.

Kreuter, a senior centerfielder, has a .243/.311/.297 slash line with 27 total hits and one homerun. Salters, a junior shortstop, has fared better with a .245/.310/.415 slash and four homeruns, but all four round-trippers have been of the solo variety.

Head coach Steven Van Buren plans to replace their top two spots in the lineup with freshman third baseman Chris Grieve (.293/.309/.424, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 3 R, 27 H) and junior designated hitter Tyler Tully (.343/.388/.444, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 9 R, 37 H), as the first-year utility player and club team holdover have been two of the Tartans most productive hitters this season.

Dittfurth to replace Paronto in rotation, for now

CMU head coach Steven Van Buren is making a change in his starting rotation, as sophomore right-hander Scott Dittfurth will replace classmate Bryan Paronto on a trial basis.

Dittfurth has been very good out of the bullpen this season, posting a 1.64 earned run average in 11.0 innings, while Paronto owns a bloated 9.82 ERA in 33.0 innings pitched. The third spot in the rotation has been a mystery, with senior righty Hector Karl (36.2 IP, 1-4, 4.91 ERA, 39 K, 11 BB) and junior right-hander Ramon Tillman (34.2 IP, 1-5, 5.71 ERA, 32 K, 9 BB) entrenched in their current spots.

Tartans sit near bottom of Atlantic 10 standings

Carnegie Mellon’s recent victories have pulled the team out of the Atlantic 10 basement, but the Tartans sit in 12th place as the calendar turns to April.

CMU owns a 3-6 mark in A-10 action, with Massachusetts (11-17, 2-5 A-10) and Fordham (11-17, 2-5 A-10) the only teams behind in the standings. At the top of the table, No. 19 Saint Louis (18-8, 8-1 A-10) has a two-game edge on Temple (13-12, 5-2 A-10) and Rhode Island (10-13, 5-2 A-10), while No. 4 St. Bonaventure sits just 3-4 in conference despite a 20-6 overall record.

CMU gain commits from five recruiting targets

The Tartans landed five high school commitments in March, highlighted by the 158th ranked prospect nationally.

Aramis Baker, a six-foot-two, 192-pound shortstop from Rock Hill High School, is one of five freshmen thus far that will enroll at Carnegie Mellon this coming fall. Baker is ranked as the 158th high school recruit according to Baseball America, and should be an immediate starter for Steven Van Buren’s 2008 team.

CMU also received commitments from third baseman Rod Stange (Montreal, Quebec / Édouard Montpetit College), leftfielder Scott Linton (Islesboro, Maine / Islesboro), and right-handed pitchers Travis Hnytka (Albany, N.Y. / Albany) and Matt Seibel (Lancaster, Calif. / Paraclete).

The five commitments will not likely make up the entirety of Carnegie Mellon’s recruiting class, as Van Buren and his staff will continue to search for incoming freshmen as both scholarship players and walk-ons.

Carnegie Mellon Recruiting Targets
Aramis Baker, SS/UT (6’2”, 192 lbs.; R/R; Ironton, Ohio / Rock Hill) – Committed
Rod Stange, 3B/C (5’9”, 187 lbs.; R/R; Montreal, Quebec / Édouard Montpetit College) – Committed
Travis Hnytka, SP/2B (6’5”, 204 lbs.; R/R; Albany, N.Y. / Albany) – Committed
Scott Linton, LF/1B (6’0”, 213 lbs.; R/R; Islesboro, Maine / Islesboro) – Committed
Matt Seibel, RP/1B (6’4”, 221 lbs.; R/R; Lancaster, Calif. / Paraclete) – Committed

[Careless Whisper]

CMU Swept by Rhode Island at Home
In Game 3, Scott Dittfurth allowed one run in 4.2 innings in his first career start

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Carnegie Mellon dropped three games to Rhode Island over the weekend, succumbing to defeats of 4-1, 10-3, and 4-0 in a three-game sweep at Hans Lobert Field.

Carnegie Mellon (5-26, 3-9 A-10) struggled with runners in scoring position in Game 1, going 1-for-12 in those scenarios in a 4-1 defeat.

Senior right-hander Hector Karl allowed four runs on 10 hits and four walks in five innings, and freshman Jamie Boyd picked him up with 3.2 scoreless frames in relief. The Tartans got doubles from junior designated hitter Tyler Tully, senior first baseman Will Froemming, and freshman rightfielder Danny Ray Boss, and a fourth-inning RBI single from senior leftfielder Ryan Rayner.

Rhode Island (15-13, 10-2 A-10) saw junior rightfielder Scott Einspahr open a stellar series with a 4-for-4 afternoon, tallying a double, stolen base, and two runs batted in.

Einspahr was the story in Game 2 – a 10-3 victory for the Rams over the Tartans – as he hit for the cycle and finished 4-for-5 on the day.

Junior right-hander Ramon Tillman struggled to make it through four innings, allowing 11 hits, five runs, and three walks. CMU’s three runs came in the bottom of the ninth courtesy of a two-run triple from senior centerfielder Kit Kreuter and an RBI groundout from junior shortstop Darrell Salters.

In Game 3, sophomore right-hander Scott Dittfurth made his first career start and allowed one run on five hits and a walk in 4.2 innings, but that run was enough for Rhode Island to win 4-0.

Dittfurth struck out six in the defeat, and junior left-hander Elpidio MacLean threw 2.1 shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts. Kreuter, senior catcher Joaquin Cormier, and freshman second baseman Robby Freed had the Tartans’ only three hits.

Rams freshman righty Bryan Desmond struck out 13 in 8.1 innings to pick up the win. Einspahr went 3-for-5 with a double, stolen base, two runs scored, and two runs batted in.

Carnegie Mellon welcomes city rival Duquesne to Hans Lobert Field next weekend for a two-game series beginning on Wednesday, April 11.

-----------------------

Rhode Island Rams (12-13, 7-2 A-10) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (5-23, 3-6 A-10)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Hans Lobert Field

Game 1 – April 6, 2007
URI | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 1
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0
W: Alex Salotti (3-2) L: Hector Karl (1-5) S: Craig Moncy (3)

Rhode Island Statistics
Jeffrey Bonnell, So., DH | 2-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
Ryan Dickerson, So., C | 2-4
Scott Einspahr, Jr., RF | 4-4, 2B, 2 RBI, SB
Santos Meade, So., 2B | 1-2, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
Jose Caruso, Fr., CF | 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB
Alex Salotti, Jr., SP (W, 3-2) | 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K
Craig Moncy, Jr., RP (S, 3) | 1.0 IP, 1 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 2-5
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 2-3, 2B (9)
Will Froemming, Sr., 1B | 2-3, R, 2B (11), BB
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 2-4, 2B (6)
Ryan Rayner, Sr., LF | 1-3, RBI (6)
Hector Karl, Sr., SP (L, 1-5) | 5.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Jamie Boyd, Fr., RP | 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Game 2 – April 7, 2007
URI | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 0
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0
W: Greg Moeller (4-1) L: Ramon Tillman (1-6)

Rhode Island Statistics
Scott Einspahr, Jr., RF | 4-5, 5 R, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 3 SB
Erik Mahmood, Jr., SS | 2-5, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB
Santos Meade, So., 2B | 1-2, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Tony Kish, Fr., 3B | 2-5, 2B, RBI
Jose Christiansen, So., 1B | 3-5, R, RBI
Greg Moeller, So., SP (W, 4-1) | 6.2 IP, 3 H, 9 K
Kerry Taha, Jr., RP | 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 1-4, R
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 1-3, R, BB
Kit Kreuter, Sr., CF | 1-4, R, 3B (1), 2 RBI (7)
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 0-4, RBI (5)
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 2-4
Ramon Tillman, Jr., SP (L, 1-6) | 4.0 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Elpidio MacLean, Jr., RP | 0.1 IP, 1 K

Game 3 – April 8, 2007
URI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1
W: Bryan Desmond (3-2) L: Scott Dittfurth (0-1)

Rhode Island Statistics
Jeffrey Bonnell, So., DH | 1-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB
Scott Einspahr, Jr., RF | 3-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB
Erik Mahmood, Jr., SS | 3-4, RBI
Santos Meade, So., 2B | 2-3, RBI, SB
Tony Kish, Fr., 3B | 1-4
Bryan Desmond, Fr., SP (W, 3-2) | 8.1 IP, 3 H, 13 K
Kerry Taha, Jr., RP | 0.2 IP, 1 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Kit Kreuter, Sr., CF | 1-3
Joaquin Cormier, Sr., C | 1-3
Robby Freed, Fr., 2B | 1-3
Scott Dittfurth, So., SP (L, 0-1) | 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Elpidio MacLean, Jr., RP | 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 K

[Careless Whisper]

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne to debut rivalry this week

This week marks the beginning of a new annual rivalry, as Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne are set to play a pair of games at Hans Lobert Field.

The Tartans enter with a 5-26 overall record and 3-9 mark in Atlantic 10 play, which places them at the bottom of the 14-team league. The Dukes currently sit fifth in the A-10 at 6-5 and own a 12-16 overall record.

Duquesne is led offensively by junior second baseman/pitcher Wes Roniger (.381/.463/.533, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 14 R, 6 SB, 40 H) and senior centerfielder Chase Mavroulis (.306/.434/.480, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 24 R, 14 SB, 30 H). The Dukes’ rotation has struggled with the third-worst ERA (5.36) in the Atlantic 10, but senior right-hander Darwin Neal (43.1 IP, 0-4, 4.15 ERA, 25 K, 23 BB) has been the best of the trio.

Tartans add three targets to recruiting board

Carnegie Mellon offered scholarship packages to three high school seniors over the past week in first baseman/pitcher Dan Gregg (Millport, Ala. / South Lamar), catcher Cam Cockrell (Metairie, La. / East Jefferson), and outfielder Kurt Branson (Wister, Okla. / Wister).

Gregg, a six-foot-four, 206-pound utility player from South Lamar High School, has slightly above average power and contact and also offers some depth for the pitching staff. On the mound, he throws four pitches (four-seam fastball, splitter, slider, change-up) and could be a long reliever or spot starter for the Tartans.

Cockrell, a five-foot-nine, 216-pound lefty-hitting catcher from East Jefferson High School, is praised for his defense. He doesn’t allow many passed balls and has a strong arm throwing out baserunners, and while his contact hitting is subpar, he does possess average power.

Branson, a six-foot-one, 200-pound outfielder from Wister High School, grades out as average across the board besides his speed, which allows him to steal bases and make good jumps on defense.

Carnegie Mellon Recruiting Targets
Aramis Baker, SS/UT (6’2”, 192 lbs.; R/R; Ironton, Ohio / Rock Hill) – Committed
Rod Stange, 3B/C (5’9”, 187 lbs.; R/R; Montreal, Quebec / Édouard Montpetit College) – Committed
Travis Hnytka, SP/2B (6’5”, 204 lbs.; R/R; Albany, N.Y. / Albany) – Committed
Scott Linton, LF/1B (6’0”, 213 lbs.; R/R; Islesboro, Maine / Islesboro) – Committed
Matt Seibel, RP/1B (6’4”, 221 lbs.; R/R; Lancaster, Calif. / Paraclete) – Committed
Dan Gregg, 1B/RP (6’4”, 206 lbs.; R/L; Millport, Ala. / South Lamar)
Cam Cockrell, C (5’9”, 216 lbs.; L/R; Metairie, La. / East Jefferson)
Kurt Branson, CF/RF (6’1”, 200 lbs.; R/R; Wister, Okla. / Wister)

[Careless Whisper]

Grieve’s 11th Inning Walk-Off Single Secures Split for Tartans
Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne played a pair of one-run games, with the Tartans coming away with a 3-2 11-inning win in Game 2

by Hayden Issacs, Carnegie Mellon sports reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- If their opening series is any indication, the Carnegie Mellon-Duquesne rivalry will surely be an entertaining one.

Carnegie Mellon (6-27, 4-10 A-10) used a two-out walk-off single by freshman third baseman Chris Grieve in the 11th inning to secure a 3-2 win and series split with Duquesne (13-17, 7-6 A-10) in Game 2. This came on the heels of the Dukes’ 5-4 triumph in Game 1, despite the Tartans coming back from a 4-0 deficit.

“I thought we played two really good games and were deserving of a split,” said CMU head coach Steven Van Buren. “We unfortunately haven’t had many of these opportunities this season, but going into the series we were really excited to play our local rivals. It meant a little more to go out there and compete for wins against Duquesne, and fortunately we were able to do so in the second game.”

The hosts raced out to a 2-0 lead through two innings in Game 2, as freshman rightfielder Danny Ray Boss knocked an RBI triple to center and was brought in with a single from senior leftfielder Ryan Rayner. That lead held through seven innings despite a solo homer from Duquesne rightfielder Josh Dargen, but in the top of the eighth Wes Roniger doubled with two outs and was brought in on a single from Justin Sheldon.

CMU freshman right-hander Einar Reagan held Duquesne scoreless through the ninth and 10th innings, but the offense couldn’t cash in with runners on first and second and no outs in the bottom of the 10th. After a scoreless top of the 11th, Boss led off the bottom half with a single, then freshman designated hitter Sean Pabst worked a one-out walk. Andy Lane struck the next hitter out to bring up Grieve with two outs, but the freshman infielder found a hole between the first and second baseman to score Boss for the walk-off win.

Junior right-hander Ramon Tillman allowed a run on seven hits in five innings, striking out four. Reagan, sophomore right-hander Jeff Hansen, and junior righty Brett Gaston all threw scoreless innings in relief.

Grieve went 3-for-6 in Game 2, while Boss was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.

In Game 1, the Tartans made up a 4-0 deficit with run-scoring hits from Grieve, senior centerfielder Kit Kreuter, and junior shortstop Darrell Salters, but a Marc Lee solo homerun in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference in a 5-4 Duquesne win.

The Dukes had success against CMU senior righty Hector Karl, roughing him up for 10 hits, four runs, and a walk through 4.2 innings. Grieve had RBIs in the fifth and sixth innings, including a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game.

The Tartans had two runners on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Salters flew out to left and senior first baseman Will Froemming struck out looking.

Carnegie Mellon hits the road for a two-game series this weekend at Xavier, beginning on Saturday, April 14.

-----------------------

Duquesne Dukes (12-16, 6-5 A-10) at Carnegie Mellon Tartans (5-26, 3-9 A-10)
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Hans Lobert Field

Game 1 – April 11, 2007
DUQ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 1
CMU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0
W: Adam Hamilton (2-0) L: Elpidio MacLean (0-3) S: Eric Hankerd (4)

Duquesne Statistics
Josh Dargen, Sr., RF | 3-4, R, 2B, RBI
Alan Miller, So., SS | 2-4, R
Allen Griffith, Sr., 3B | 1-3, R, 2B, RBI
Marc Lee, Jr., LF | 2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
Cole Hutchinson, So., C | 2-4, RBI
Wes Roniger, Jr., SP | 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Adam Hamilton, So., RP (W, 2-0) | 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K
Eric Hankerd, So., RP (S, 4) | 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 2-5, R, 2B (10), 2 RBI (11), SB (1)
Tyler Tully, Jr., DH | 1-4, BB
Kit Kreuter, Sr., CF | 1-4, R, RBI (8), SB (7)
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 2-5, RBI (6)
Ryan Rayner, Sr., LF | 1-3, R, 2B (8)
Hector Karl, Sr., SP | 4.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Elpidio MacLean, Jr., RP (L, 0-3) | 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER
Einar Reagan, Fr., RP | 1.2 IP, 3 K

Game 2 – April 12, 2007
DUQ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0
CMU | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 0
W: Brett Gaston (1-1) L: Andy Lane (1-2)

Duquesne Statistics
Chase Maroulis, Sr., CF | 3-5, SB
Wes Roniger, Jr., 2B | 1-4, R, 2B
Justin Sheldon, So., 1B | 2-5, 2B, RBI
Josh Dargen, Sr., RF | 2-5, R, HR, RBI
Carlos Froemming, Fr., DH | 2-4, 2B
Darwin Neal, Sr., SP | 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Vinnie Nicolla, So., RP | 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 K
Andy Lane, Sr., RP (L, 1-2) | 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Carnegie Mellon Statistics
Chris Grieve, Fr., 3B | 3-6, RBI (12)
Darrell Salters, Jr., SS | 1-5, R
Danny Ray Boss, Fr., RF | 3-5, 2 R, 3B (1), RBI (6)
Ryan Rayner, Sr., LF | 2-5, RBI (7)
Sean Pabst, Fr., DH | 1-3, 2 BB
Ramon Tillman, Jr., SP | 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K
Jeff Hansen, So., RP | 2.0 IP
Einar Reagan, Jr., RP | 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
Brett Gaston, Jr., RP (W, 1-1) | 1.0 IP, 1 H