Allen Homer, Mathews Gem Leads Stevens to 4-3 Win over Drew
HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 11, 2012) – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team defeated the visitors from Drew University, 4-3, under the lights at Dobbelaar Field on Wednesday, April 11. Sophomore Dan Allen (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) cracked a solo home run and junior Kevin Mathews (Jackson, N.J.) surrendered just four hits over 6.1 innings to lead Stevens to a 17-10 overall record this season.
Stevens scored three runs in the first two innings of the game and tacked on another on the Allen homerun in the fifth to come away with a hard fought victory over the Rangers. Stevens led 4-1 through seven innings of play but gave up two runs in the eighth before junior Tyler Courter (Glenwood, N.J.) took the mound after playing shortstop for the entire game and shut down Drew in the ninth inning to pick up his second save up the season.
Courter also led the Ducks at the plate with three hits in four at bats and scored a run.
Mathews earned his fifth win of the season by striking out three batters and only walking one. He also only gave up one earned in his six-plus innings of work.
Senior Tom Phillips (Spring Lake, N.J.) scored Stevens’ first run of the game after doubling off the right field wall in the bottom of the first inning. He then stole second and later scored on an Allen sacrifice fly to right field. Phillips then tripled in his next trip to the play in the second inning and brought home Courter and sophomore Curt Lowenstein (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.).
With the steal, Phillips moves to within three stolen bags from tying the all-time record at Stevens with 74 career swipes. Phillips Lowenstein reached base twice in the game, both by way of hit by pitches.
Senior TJ Alcorn (Turnersville, N.J.) went 2-for-4 at the plate, while junior Michael Donovan (Mendham, N.J.) collected one hit in four trips to the plate. Freshman Brian Hennelly (Holbrook, N.J.) went 1-for-3 on the night.
Four other hurlers for the Ducks saw action on the mound between Mathews and Courter. Senior Chris Tucci (Calverton, N.Y.) struck out the only batter he faced before fellow senior John Martelle (Colonia, N.J.) entered the game. Martelle gave up a hit and two runs in two-thirds of an inning before giving way to freshman Peirce Marston (Silver Spring, Md.), who sat down his lone batter. Sophomore Gary Boardman (Staten Island, N.Y.) filled the void between Marston and Courter, and allowed a hit and punched out one in a third of an inning.