Tuesday, March 27, 2007

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Mar. 27, 2007) - Isaac Harrow doubled home Andrew Franco with two outs in the top of the ninth inning breaking a 5-5 tie, and Appalachian State held on for a 6-5 victory over ETSU Tuesday night at Cardinal Park.

After retiring the first two batters in the ninth inning, senior Tony Lombardi (Windsor, Calif.) surrendered a two-out walk to Franco, and after Franco worked a full count, allowed the game-winning double down the right field line.

Junior Anthony Russell (Waldorf, Md.) doubled with one out in the bottom of the inning, but Appalachian State ace Garrett Sherrill retired the next two batters, stranding the tying run at second base and notching his fourth save of the season.

The Mountaineers (1-0) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on designated hitter Jason Rook's fifth home run of the season.

The Bucs (18-9) tied the contest in the second when senior Justin Aughey (Davie, Fla.) scored on freshman Tanner Moore's (Chattanooga, Tenn.) groundout.  Freshman Danny Petro (Atlanta, Ga.) singled to right field in the third inning, bringing home senior C.J. Lee (Bristol, Va.) and giving ETSU a 2-1 lead.

After the teams traded runs in the fourth inning, Appalachian State took a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning with three unearned runs.  After Harrow survived a pick off on a muffed throw, right fielder Rand Smith brought him home with a single up the middle, and second baseman Nick DeRose broke the tie with his first home run of the season.

Freshman Ryan Self (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) evened the game in the bottom of the inning on a bases loaded to right field, scoring Moore and sophomore Troy Mendez (Roswell, Ga.)

Lombardi falls to 0-3 on the season, allowing the game-winning run in his only inning of work.  Appalachian State reliever David Rubinstein pitched a scoreless eighth inning for his first career win.

Self finished the game 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBI.  DeRose was one of seven Mountaineers to collect hits in the seven-hit ASU attack, also notching three RBI.

The Bucs are back at home Wednesday night, entertaining UNC Asheville in a 7 p.m. first pitch at Cardinal Park.  Fans can catch all the action via video web stream starting with the Tony Skole Dugout Show at 6:30 p.m.