Maynard, Wildcats blank Rams, 5-0
5/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Wildcats send Rams home, 5-0
Maynard throws eight shutout innings en route to win
ABILENE -- Ben Maynard and Ruben Rivera combined to hand Angelo State its first shutout loss of the season Monday at Scott Field and keep alive Abilene Christian University's chances for its first Lone Star Conference baseball title since 2002.
The Wildcats pieced together a 5-0 triumph over the LSC South champion Rams to earn the right to play on the tournament's final day. ACU will meet Central Oklahoma Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Maynard turned back ASU for eight innings to improve his record to 8-3 with his second decision over the Rams this season before coach Britt Bonneau gave the ball to Rivera in the ninth inning.
"Ben Maynard is the story today," Bonneau said. "He showed today why he's the ACU MVP. He's done it since his freshman year as a walk-on. He gave us eight innings. That win will help us tremendously in getting an NCAA bid."
Abilene Christian, retired in order through the first three innings by the likely LSC South pitcher of the year, J.W. Nastoupil (9-1), finally broke through in the fourth and added two runs in the fifth and another single run in the fifth.
Maynard, slightly built 170-pound junior from Loveland, Colo., said the Wildcats played "small ball" Monday.
"We played as a team today," he said. "We knew that was the pitcher of the year in the South out there. We got people on, got 'em over, and got 'em in. I knew if I kept them in check, we would have a chance to win. It was a great win. I love being a part of this team."
Bonneau said Maynard's slider was his key pitch Monday, and "his off-speed was there when he needed it. The wind favored him today. He put up eight zeroes and turned it over to Rivera. Angelo is a great ball club. They are hard to shut out."
Maynard limited the Rams to five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. ASU started the tournament with a .366 team batting average.
"I kept them off balance with lots of pop flies and double plays," Maynard explained. "I didn't depend on strikeouts."
The Wildcats managed only seven hits (all singles), but the Rams were guilty of four errors to aid the winners. Nastoupil, a converted first baseman who beat ACU 9-1 on April 7 with a two-hitter, had five strikeouts through the first three innings. But the senior left-hander finished with only six strikeouts in his seven innings.
In the fourth, Danny Williams reached on a fielder's choice and scored later on Alec Sowards' two-out single, ACU's first hit of the game.
Chris Walsh reached on an error to open the fifth, Jordan Schmitt singled, Walsh scored on Trey Watten's infield out, and Schmitt scored on Johnny Zepeda's single. Sowards crossed the plate with ACU's fourth run in the fifth after his single, a sacrifice and walk, and Rivera's single.
"When you go against a pitcher of that magnitude, you have to play it that way," Bonneau said of his "small ball" tactics. "He's dominated all year. You have to get runners on and get the two-out hit. Our first hit was an RBI."
Bonneau is expected to send Brandon Moore (3-1) to the mound Tuesday against UCO, which met Southeastern Oklahoma State in Monday's late game on the third day of the four-day, double-elimination tournament.
