March 15, 2008

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - Pacific junior Mark McCain (Dallas, Texas) delivered 15 K's in a complete game victory as the Tigers took down Minnesota, 3-1, on Saturday, Mar. 15.

The victory lifted Pacific to 4-12 on the season, while Minnesota fell to 4-7 overall.

McCain retired the first six Minnesota batters he faced, but surrendered back-to-back hits and the first run of the game in the top of the third. Giving up a run, seemed to focus McCain as he struck out the next three Gopher batters to end the third.

After a perfect fourth inning, McCain pitched out of a bases loaded, no outs jam by recording three consecutive strikeouts. McCain got the number nine hitter, Joe Maciej looking for the first out of the inning. Moments later, McCain forced the top two hitters for Minnesota, Matt Nohelty and Jeremy Chlan, to turn around and head back to the bench swinging to end the threat.

Having tallied nine strikeouts through the top of the fifth, McCain's mastery of Minnesota in the top half of the frame energized his offense in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) nabbed the Tigers first hit of the game to lead off the inning, rifling a single into center field. Following a sacrifice bunt from senior Noah St. Urbain (Stockton, Calif.), senior John Joines (Milpitas, Calif.) gave the Tigers the lead with a laser over the left field wall. Joines' two-run shot was his second home run of the season and gave Pacific a 2-1 lead.

That was all the run support McCain needed as he held Minnesota to one hit through the final four innings to earn his first collegiate victory (1-0). McCain finished the game allowing one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out 15 batters in nine innings. McCain threw 121 pitches in the game.

Saturday's performance by McCain was all the more impressive as the junior right-hander had been used exclusively out of the bullpen in his only season with the Tigers. McCain earned the start on Saturday with a strong relief outing Tuesday, where he threw 83 pitches in 4.1 innings.

Pacific added an insurance run in the eighth inning as junior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.) plated freshman Kerry Jenkins (Tracy, Calif.) on a two-out single into left.

Minnesota's Kyle Carr (0-3) suffered the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits and three walks in 6.1 innings.

Pacific and Minnesota play the series finale on Sunday, Mar. 16 at 1 p.m. in Klein Family Field.