Prairie View eliminated from Div I Baseball Playoffs
June 3, 2006
HOUSTON, Texas - Preston Paramore went 3-for-3 with three RBI, and Ryan Sontag
had three hits, drove in two runs and scored twice, as Arizona State routed
Prairie View A&M 13-4 in an elimination game at the NCAA Houston Regional
at Reckling Park. C.J. Retherford added three hits, three runs scored and picked
up a three-inning save for Arizona State (37-20), which will play the loser
of Sunday's Rice/Baylor game later Sunday. The Sun Devils fell 3-2 to the Bears
in a first-round game Saturday afternoon.
Prairie View A&M (33-22) made its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament
memorable, taking a four-run lead on top-seeded Rice on Friday before falling
6-5, but fell behind 10-0 after three innings in this one. Eugene Edwards had
two hits for the Panthers.
Brady Martinez (4-0) got the win in relief of Tony Barnette, who went 1 1/3
innings in Friday's rain-delayed game against Baylor, and was lifted after
two games tonight with the 10-run cushion. Martinez allowed three runs - one
earned - and five hits in four innings, striking out three and walking one.
"We're exhausted," Arizona State head coach Pat Murphy said. "I
have great respect for Prairie View and Coach (Michael) Robertson. What he's
done with that club, and way they play game. I told him a secret before the
game, that one day I wanted to coach at an all black school and take them to
College World Series. I think about it all the time. Coach Robertson looks
like he's prepping his team. They've got everybody back next year. Who knows
what would have happened if they played yesterday. They're not afraid of anybody.
There are a lot of lessons to be learned from their club."
Panthers starter Matthew Chase (6-6) took the loss, allowing 10 runs - six
earned - and 10 hits in three innings.
Arizona State left little doubt about the game early on, batting around in
each the second and third innings while scoring five times in both frames.
In the second, Paramore plated two with a single, and Andrew Romine, Mike Jones
and Colin Curtis each drove in one. Paramore stroked an RBI single in the third,
which saw the Panthers commit three errors.
Prairie View A&M got on the board with two runs in the fifth thanks to
an error by Sun Devils first baseman Ike Davis.
Panthers reliever Adrian Canales restored some order to the game, retiring
12 straight from the fourth through seventh innings. The Panthers closed the
gap to 11-4 in the seventh with an RBI double from Brandon Whitby and a run-scoring
groundout from Wilford White. The second run came off Retherford, who also
played third base and catcher during the game. He made just his third appearance
of the season on the mound and picked up the save by retiring the final nine
batters of the game.
However, Arizona State responded with two more in the eighth for the final
margin.
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