Monday, May 21, 2007

Macon, Ga. – Following the final weekend of regular season action, Gardner-Webb’s Matt Tafazzoli and Belmont’s Matt Reynolds have been selected as the Atlantic Sun’s Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, league officials announced today.

Tafazzoli, a senior relief pitcher from Charlotte, N.C., saved two of the most important games of the season for the Bulldogs, who were riding the cut-line for the upcoming conference tournament. In the first of three games against North Florida, Tafazzoli entered a 6-4 game in the eighth inning, working 2.0 innings to ensure the win for Gardner-Webb, while earning his second save of the season.

The Bulldogs again turned to Tafazzoli in the final game of the series. With two men on base and a two-run lead, Tafazzoli entered the game and retired three straight batters to earned his second save of the weekend, third of the season, and punch Gardner-Webb’s ticket to the A-Sun tournament for the fourth time in five seasons of eligibility.

The honor is the second of the season and his career for Tafazzoli, who ended the regular season with a 4-1 record and a 4.62 ERA in 50.2 innings of work.

Reynolds, a senior third-baseman from Hendersonville, Tenn., posted three-multi-hit games against Stetson over the weekend, including a 4-for-5 outing during Game 1 of the series on Thursday. Reynolds led the Bruins with five runs scored during the week with two of those coming on Saturday in Belmont’s come-from-behind victory over the Hatters. For the series, the Bruins out-scored Stetson 20-11.

At the plate, Reynolds compiled a .529 batting average and a .706 slugging percentage as three of his nine hits went for doubles. Along with his .529 on-base percentage and his 12 total bases, Reynolds drove in one run and stole a base while posting a perfect fielding percentage as the Bruins took 2-of-3 games from the No.1 seeded Hatters.

The award is the first of the season and career for Reynolds, who finished the regular season with a .311 batting average while playing in all but one game for the Bruins.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.

Other Top Performers

Daniel Smith – Campbell
[Sophomore – 3B – Raleigh, N.C. – Trust Management]
Smith finished the season with a flurry, batting .444 in the last week of the season, including two, three-hit performances against Kennesaw State. The sophomore finished the season hitting safely in 16 of the team’s last 19 games.

Tyler Brown – Mercer
[Junior – OF/DH – Monroe, Ga. – Communications]
Brown went 6-for-12 for the Bears and drove in seven runs while scoring five of his own as Mercer swept ETSU to capture the tournament’s second seed. Against the Buccaneers, Brown his two home runs and three doubles to post a 1.250 slugging percentage and a .538 on-base percentage.

Brandon Scott – Campbell
[Junior – RHP/OF – Bethel, N.C. – Physical Education]
In an emergency start, his first since April 20, Scott threw a complete game against Kennesaw State. Scott did not allow a hit after the fourth inning, while striking out six and giving Campbell its seventh complete game of the year, and the first of Scott’s career.

Boone Webster – Mercer
[Junior – RHP – Alpharetta, Ga. – Sport Management]
Webster went picked up a win for Mercer in a seven-inning performance on Friday in which he game up four hits and two runs while striking out two and walking five. The victory gave Webster his team-leading seventh win of the season.

Chris Ingoglia – Stetson
[Senior – LHP – Boynton Beach, Fla. – Marketing]
Ingoglia won his ninth game of the season and the 30th of his career Friday night against Belmont. He struck out 10 in 7.1 inning of work while allowing just two runs on six his with a pair of walks. Ingoglia did not allow a hit after the fourth inning and improved his lifetime record to 20-4 at Melching Field.

Charles Lee – Belmont
[Senior – RHP – Brentwood, Tenn. – Accounting]
Lee stayed perfect in conference play, picking up his sixth A-Sun victory with a win against Stetson in the opening game of the series. Lee pitched 7.2 inning and allowed just two runs while holding the Hatters scoreless from the second through the seventh inning. His three strikeouts moves Lee within two strikeouts of Belmont’s career record.