Wednesday, May 26, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Chris Sale, the 2010 Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year struck out 11 Stetson Hatters in pitching FGCU to its first A-Sun Baseball Championship win, 9-4 on Wednesday.

After allowing two runs and five hits in the opening three innings, Sale retired 12 straight hitters before a two-out double in the seventh inning. He improved to 11-0, the second pitcher in the nation at that record, joining TCU's Matt Purke. With his 11 strikeouts, he increased his season total to 146, moving up to fifth on the A-Sun single-season chart.

Read the Atlantic Sun Insider Column from FGCU's victory HERE.

The top of the FGCU (38-18) order provided plenty of support for Sale, as Stephen Wickens, Mikel Alvarez and Tim Roberson combined for seven hits. Alvarez connected for his fifth home run on the season. Austin Gaines added three hits and scored three times.

Jacob deGrom took the loss for Stetson (27-30) but provided pop at the plate, connecting on a solo shot off Sale in the second inning. Trailing 5-2 in the top of the eighth, the Hatters rallied for two runs off the Eagles’ bullpen only to see Jason Forjet induce a double play to quell the threat.

The Eagles face the loser of UNF-ETSU at 3:00 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Hatters take on the loser of Jacksonville and Mercer at 11:00 a.m. CT. All the action will be broadcast, free of charge, on ASun.TV.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.