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Aurora Central knocks off IMSA
Updated: May 16, 2011 9:11PM
Feeling a bit slighted, the Aurora Central Chargers had something to prove. Hopping just beyond their backyard to IMSA Monday afternoon, the Chargers made their point with a 6-3 nonconference victory.
Matt Miller allowed one run in five innings, smacked a pair of doubles and scored two runs. Miller whiffed 10 Titans, walked one and surrendered two hits.
“They got a higher seed than us in the regional, and we wanted to show them that we deserved it more,” Miller said. “I just wanted to go out there and give it my best. I did that for the first three innings, but I got a litte tired the last two. I’ve been off for a week.”
Miller attacked the Titans from the outset striking out seven of the first eight batters he faced. John Hendricks and Neal Patel each managed a hit in the fourth inning when the Titans tallied a run.
“We came into this game a little upset at the world because they’re the three seed and we’re the fourth seed in the regional,” Aurora Central coach Eric Fulara said. “We just wanted to prove that we were better than them.
“I told Matt that he had the ball and to take care of business. And that’s what he did.”
Zack Tobin opened the game with a single to left field and Miller followed with a ground rule double to right field. Matt Czerak’s sacrifice fly put the Chargers ahead 1-0 before Miller scored on a throwing error.
The Chargers extended the lead to 4-0 with two unearned runs in the third inning. Tobin reached on a dropped third strike, and Miller hit a smash down the third base line for two bases. Another dropped third strike allowed Tobin to race home from third base before Czerak collected a RBI with a groundout.
Hendricks led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single to right field, but was erased by a fielder’s choice by Brenden Wesp. Patel looped a base hit to right field and Wesp advanced to third base before Matt Tehnenhouse drove him in with a ground ball.
Aurora Central tacked on a run in the fifth and another in the seventh while the Titans scored lone runs in the sixth and seventh. Patel went the distance for the Titans. He fanned nine, walked one and hit one while allowing six hits.
“Neal threw a heckuva game,” IMSA coach Renard Miller said. “We’re not going to back down. No matter who we play, we’re going to be competitive and play to the end.”
Tehnenhouse crushed a double to right field leading off the last frame and Vivek Thakker followed with a base hit, but Andrew Bruss minimized the damage and closed the game.
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