Sacred Heart
Georgia
Pioneers Fall to Georgia in NCAA Regional Opener
6/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 3, 2006
ATHENS, GA - Junior pitcher Mickey Westphal threw a three-hit shutout and the University of Georgia offense blasted three homers to lead the top-seeded Bulldogs to an 11-0 win over #4 seed Sacred Heart University in the opening round of the NCAA Regional in Athens on Saturday afternoon.
After two scoreless innings, Georgia took a 1-0 lead in the third inning off SHU starter Jay Monti on back-to-back doubles by Jonathan Wyatt and Joey Side. The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Bobby Felmy led off with a single to left. He took second on a balk. Monti struck out Jason Jacobs and got Matt Olson to fly to left, but third baseman Ryan Peisel singled up the middle with two outs to plate Felmy.
Felmy kept the Pioneers off the board in the fifth inning, making a diving catch in right field on a run-and-hit by Tim Lantz with Rob Tencza on first base. Had he not made the catch, Tencza would have scored.
The wheels came off the Pioneers in the fifth inning when the Bulldogs scored five unearned runs. A dropped popup by SHU catcher Josh Enos allowed Wyatt to reach as the leadoff hitter. Monti then yielded a double to right by Side and walked Gordon Beckham to load the bases with no one out. He struck out Josh Morris and got Felmy on a popup to second, but Jacobs doubled with the two outs to clear the bases and make it 5-0. Olson followed with his first homer of the season, and a double by Peisel chased Monti from the game.
The junior threw 4 2/3 innings and yielded just two earned runs while striking out eight and walking three. He threw 105 pitches.
"Jay went out and pitched his game and I don't think he was intimidated at all," said SHU head coach Nick Giaquinto. "I think you just have to tip your hat to Georgia for the way they attacked him."
Junior lefty George Lamar came on to get the final out of the fifth. He also got the first two batters in the sixth, before giving up a line drive homer to left center by Beckham that made it 8-0.
A homer by Morris highlighted a three-run eighth for Georgia off SHU reliever Mike Milazzo, who struck out the side.
The shutout was the third of his career for Westphal. He struck out two without issuing a walk and threw 87 pitches.
"He (Westphal) had us out on our front foot a lot because of his excellent changeup," said Giaquinto. "I don't think we swung at many bad pitches but he did a good job with his location."
"Today's game was exactly what we needed," said Georgia coach David Perno. "Mickey did a great job on the mound. Not only did he pitch a complete game but he also pitched a quick game. Our kids did not have to stand out in the heat and endure big innings like in Birmingham (at the SEC Tournament). We'll be fresh and ready to go for tonight's game."
