BATON ROUGE — Right-hander Ryan Edell allowed just one run in 7 2/3 innings of work to lead the College of Charleston to a 2-1 victory over Army in an elimination game on Saturday in the 2004 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at Alex Box Stadium, knocking the Black Knights out of the tournament and sending the Cougars to the 7:30 p.m. game on Saturday versus the loser of Saturday’s 3 p.m. game between host LSU and Southern Mississippi.
The Cougars (46-15) staved off elimination as Edell limited the Black Knights to only one run on nine hits, and Nick Chigges picked up his third save in relief of Edell, who struck out eight and walked none. Army starter Justin Kashner took the loss, dropping to 7-3 overall after going 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on only four hits. He walked three and struck out three.
Army, champions of the Patriot League, ended its season with a 37-15 mark.
Edell was sharp through the first four innings, as the lefty yielded just two hits while striking out five. Kashner was equally as effective through four innings, as he also allowed just two hits and fanned three, as neither team was able to muster much offense in the early going.
The Cougars finally broke the ice in the bottom of the fifth inning, as centerfielder Brett Gardner ripped a single to left just past Army shortstop Kyle Scogin to score Matt Kirkpatrick for a 1-0 lead. After Kirkpatrick led off the frame with a walk, shortstop Anthony Fairchild laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached base safely when Army first baseman Walker Gorham’s throw to second baseman Nate Stone covering the bag was high, pulling Stone off the base, and putting runners on first and second with none out.
Leadoff batter Phillip Coker bunted in an attempt to move the runners to second and third, but Kashner fielded the ball and got Kirkpatrick at third, but Garnder followed with the single to drive in his 51st run of the year.
Army reliever Wade Greenlee worked out of his own jam in the bottom of the seventh inning, retiring pinch hitter Matt Hallett and Bulger after the Cougars had put runners on second and third with only one out. With the infield playing in, Hallett, who was subbing for DH Brett Anderson, grounded to second, and then Bulger went down on strikes to end the inning, keeping the game at 2-0.
The Black Knights cut the Cougars’ lead in half in the top half of the eighth as Gorham lined a double off left fielder Byron Barber’s glove with two outs to score Milan Dinga and chase Edell from the game. Nick Chigges entered the game in relief and fanned Nate Stone to end the inning.
College of Charleston added a run in the sixth as Kevin Bulger, who reached on an error to lead off the inning, scored on Kirkpatrick’s grounder to short which Scogin was unable to field cleanly.
Edell worked out of a jam in the seventh to keep the Cougars up by two. Army put runners on first and third with no outs but Edell got Nolan Cork on a strikeout and then Nate Stone, who began the inning with a single and went to second on a wild pitch, was tagged out between home and third by Kirkpatrick on Jeremy Stache’s squeeze bunt attempt. Kyle Scogin then lined out to right to end the inning.
Army had the tying run on first in the ninth, but Chigges retired Scogin on a grounder to second base to end the ball game.
Coll. of Charleston 2, Army 1 (Jun 05, 2004 at Baton Rouge, La.)
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Army……………. 000 000 010 – 1 10 2 (37-15)
Coll. of Charleston. 000 011 00X – 2 6 0 (46-15)
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Pitchers: Army – Kashner, J; Pluff, D(6); Greenlee, W(7). Coll. of Charleston – Edell; Chigges(8).
Win-Edell(8-2) Save-Chigges(3) Loss-Kashner, J(7-3) T-2:33 A-1420
Game notes:
Paid attendance: 7,398
Army eliminated.
Coll. of Charleston plays LSU-Southern Miss loser at 7:30 p.m. tonight.