Davidson Makes Tremendous Comeback, Splits Two Games With Niagara

Saturday, March 1

Davidson, N.C.

TBA

Davidson College Athletics

Niagara

Honeycutt had his fourh homer of the season.

Davidson Makes Tremendous Comeback, Splits Two Games With Niagara

3/1/2008 8:25:23 PM | Baseball

Marc Gignac

DAVISON, N.C. - Junior Graham Chapman stole home with one out in the bottom of the ninth as Davidson overcame a five-run deficit in its final at-bat to post a 15-14 victory in game one of a baseball doubleheader against Niagara Saturday at Wilson Field.

The Purple Eagles (1-1) won the nightcap 13-1 behind excellent pitching from starter Daniel Morari.

Chapman, who pinch ran for Danny Weiss after the freshman walked, broke on the first pitch from Mark Sikorski to Hugh Eden and scored on a ball in the dirt. The run capped a six-run inning for the Wildcats (3-4).

Eden led off the frame with a walk, stole second and scored later on a walk to Chase FitzPatrick. Jay Honeycutt reached on an error by the second baseman, who mishandled a high pop-up, which scored a run that made the margin 14-11. After Weiss walked to score another run, freshman Matt Ray delivered a two-run double to right field to tie the score 14-14.

Niagara brought its rightfielder into the infield for defense, but Sikorski walked Brennan Baker to load the bases and set up Chapman's game-winning steal. Davidson trailed 8-1 in the third inning, 11-2 in the fifth and 14-5 after Niagara scored three runs in the top of the sixth.

Sophomore relief pitcher John Edwards came on in the sixth and quieted the Purple Eagle bats, which allowed Davidson to get back in the game. He pitched 3.2 innings, allowing one run and four hits.

Davidson began its comeback in the bottom of the sixth when Baker led off with a double and scored later on a groundout to the left side by Brett Shore. The 'Cats added three more in the seventh with a two-out rally. Ray's double plated Honeycutt, who led off the frame with a single, and Eden capped the scoring with a two-run single to make the margin 14-9.

Honeycutt finished with three hits, including his fourth home run of the season, and five RBIs, while Eden collected three hits and two RBIs. Shore, FitzPatrick and Ray each had two hits.

Morari pitched a gem in game two, tossing six scoreless innings and allowing one hit and a walk while striking out nine. He threw 80 pitches, and 51 were strikes.

The Purple Eagles pounced on the Wildcats with five runs in the first inning on the strength of a leadoff double by Jason Cramer, an RBI single by Harrison Harber and a two-run homer by Steve Baldinelli. Niagara went on to score runs in the third, fourth and fifth before putting up five in the sixth to take a 13-0 lead.

Will General drove in Davidson's only run with a sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the seventh.

The Wildcats and Purple Eagles will do it again tomorrow in a single game that starts at noon at Wilson Field.