Lebanon Valley College Athletics
May 1, 2002
Captain 'Spach Pilots Dutchmen to 8-1 Playoff Win Over ETown
Annville, Pa. - Senior Steve Anspach (Lebanon, PA/Northern Lebanon) tossed a four-hit complete game and batted 3-for-4 to lead Lebanon Valley College to a first-round Commonwealth Conference playoff victory over Elizabethtown College. The top-seeded Dutchmen defeated the fourth-seeded Blue Jays by score of 8-1 and will face Messiah College on Friday at 3:00 p.m. in the double-elimination tournament.
Anspach took control of the game in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly that scored sophomore Chris Hotchkiss (Chantilly, VA/Chantilly) to make the score 1-0. 'Spach scored later in the bottom of the seventh when junior Mark Schauren (Columbia, PA/Columbia) doubled the captain home. Schauren's two-bagger initiated a three-run seventh inning, which saw the Dutchmen explode out to an 8-1 lead.
On the mound, Anspach overpowered the Blue Jays with five K's and nine groundouts. He improved to 6-3 while his counterpart Drew Kelly was damaged for 12 hits and six runs in the loss. Mike Nocar pitched two innings of relief and allowed two runs and four hits.
The Dutchmen's bats came alive with 16 hits, one shy of the season high, as all nine players recorded hits. Sophomore Jeff Greiger (Riegelesville, PA/Wilson Area) had three hits (3-for-4) and scored twice. Junior catcher Tim Rink (Warminster, PA/Council Rock) went 2-for-5 and had an RBI double in the bottom of the third that scored junior third-basemen Joe Zielke (Media, PA/Penncrest). Zielke finished 2-for-5 with one run and one RBI.
The remainder of the tournament will be hosted by Albright College at Owls Field in West Lawn on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th. The winner of the double-elimination tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Daily tickets are $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, and $2.00 for students. Ticket prices for both sessions are $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors, and $3.00 for students.
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