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Aggies complete sweep of NSU
LAWTON, Oklahoma (March 16) – Break out your brooms Aggie fans, your baseball team just completed their second sweep of the season. This afternoon at Cameron’s McCord Field, the Cameron Aggie baseball team (16-11, 10-9 LSC) completed their four-game weekend sweep of the Northeastern State RiverHawks (8-16, 4-11). Cameron won all four games of the series for just the second time this season. The Aggie squad showcased some very impressive baseball in all aspects of the game.
“I was very pleased,” Head Coach Todd Holland said. “I think we pitched really well and our bats were hot. We had a good weekend. It is always good to win a series over a fellow Lone Star Conference team, and it is especially tough to win four games from anybody.”
The teams began their series on Friday afternoon in a game that was extremely one-sided. NSU started out with a run in the first inning, and Cameron tied it at 1-1 after their at-bats. The Aggies then went on to score 16 runs over the next five innings to put the game out of reach. CU won the game 18-2 and recorded 16 hits.
Junior outfielder Josh Barnett had a huge game offensively, going 3-6 from the plate. Barnett hit two solo homeruns over the leftfield fence in the game, including a leadoff dinger to start the game. He then hit an inside-the-park homerun late in the game to give him three homeruns on the day.
On Saturday the teams matched up in a nine-inning, seven-inning double-dip. The Cameron bats were still hot as they scored 5 runs in the very first inning. Northeastern State tried to make a game of it in the third with two quick runs, but enough damage had been done. Cameron went on to win the first game 7-2 behind very solid pitching by senior pitcher Bevan Anderson.
In the nightcap Cameron again got on the board early thanks to a solo homerun by senior first-baseman Michael Levi. The Aggies then put up four more runs in the third inning to put the game out of reach. NSU scored a single run in the top of the fourth but it was far too little too late. CU won the second game of the double-header 5-1, thanks to another incredible performance by the Aggie pitching staff. This time the gem was thrown by senior pitcher Cody Dillon who, like Anderson, went the distance for a complete game victory.
“Our pitching staff stepped up huge this weekend,” Coach Holland said. “When you pitch well it’s easier to play well; everyone is upbeat and ready to go. When things aren’t going right it’s always the pitchers that get the blame. Our pitchers were throwing the ball well and I was really impressed this weekend.”
This afternoon at McCord Field the Aggies and RiverHawks matched up for the final game of the season. The Aggies were looking to record their first four-game series sweep since they opened the season with four straight wins over Pittsburg State, while the RiverHawks were hoping to avoid their first sweep of the 2008 season.
NSU looked as if they would get their wish as they held a 2-0 lead after the first two innings, and a 2-1 lead after the first three frames; but then the Aggie bats heated up for one more rally. Cameron put up a five-spot in the bottom of the fourth and went ahead for the final time. Cameron won the final game of the series 7-4.
The RiverHawks had bases loaded and the go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the eighth inning with no outs, but relief pitcher James Maxwell, a junior, shut the door and squashed any chance of a comeback attempt.
Overall it was a great weekend of Aggie baseball. The weather cooperated and a sizable crowd came out to support the Aggie baseballers. For those that are unable to attend an Aggie game at McCord Field, live audio and video of the game is available on the Aggie Video Network (goaggies.cameron.edu) with play-by-play commentary provided by Craig Martin, Cameron’s Director of Sports Information. Live Stats are also available on the Cameron Athletics website.
“We hope to carry over our play to the next series,” Coach Holland said. “Hopefully we keep this going. This was our fifth win in a row and we are just going to take it week by week and one game at a time. We are almost fully together as a team and I like how we are playing.”
The Aggie baseball team is next in action this Thursday in Edmond, Oklahoma. The Cameron Aggies and Central Oklahoma Bronchos will face off in a single, nine-inning game in Edmond on Thursday, and then will battle in a double-header in Lawton on Friday. The four-game series wraps up on Saturday with a final, nine-inning game back in Edmond on Saturday.
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