ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL
Saturday, February 23, 2008

Elizabethtown Downs Shenandoah 4-1 in Season Opener

Click here for the box score

WINCHESTER, Va. --- Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) scattered two hits and struck out four over eight innings of work as Elizabethtown College defeated Shenandoah University 4-1 in its 2008 baseball opener on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Blue Jays (1-0 overall), who scored twice in the fifth and added single runs in the seventh and eighth to pick up the win over the Hornets (2-2 overall).

Heaps allowed singles to the Hornets' Scott Lambert in the third and sixth innings, but induced double-play grounders to escape any damage. The lone run for Shenandoah came in the fourth as Drue Vernon walked and came around to score on a groundout by Scott Van Dusselorp to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.

Elizabethtown plated two runs in the fifth via three Shenandoah errors, as a throwing error on a fielders choice grounder allowed Vinagro and sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) to score.

In the seventh, Vinagro singled and came in on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead, and in the eighth Heaps singled and later scored on an RBI single by sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts).

Senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) relieved Heaps after the leadoff batter reached on an error in the ninth, and retired all three batters he faced for the save.

Greg Van Sickler (0-1) took the loss for Shenandoah after allowing seven hits and three runs (one earned) in 6 1/3 innings of work while striking out seven.

Junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) went 2-for-5 for the Blue Jays as part of a 10-hit attack.

Elizabethtown 4, Shenandoah Univ. 1
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Elizabethtown....... 000 020 110 - 4 10 1 (1-0)
Shenandoah Univ..... 000 100 000 - 1 2 3 (2-2)
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Sam Heaps, Chris Minakowski (9) and Tom Semanek; Greg Van Sickler, Drew Dobbins (7), Gage Levac (7), DJ Mascetti (7) and Kevin Brashears. WP-Heaps (1-0). LP-Van Sickler (0-1). SV-Minakowski (1). SO-BB: Heaps 4-1, Minakowski 0-0; Van Sickler 7-0, Dobbins 0-1, Levac 0-1, Mascetti 4-2. HR-None.