Winthrop tops VMI in Big South tourney

From staff reports
Published: May 22, 2008

WINTHROP 7, VMI 2
WHAT ACE?: VMI’s Michael Bowman had the numbers of a staff ace. He was only 4-5 in the regular season but had an ERA of 3.30 with 79 strikeouts against 23 walks in 84 2/3 innings. Opponents hit just .234 against him. Winthrop, though, batted .700 (7-for-10) against Bowman in the first inning and scored four runs. Bowman probably felt fortunate. The Eagles stranded the bases loaded. Bowman recovered to pitch into the eighth, but the 4-0 lead was too much to overcome.
TOUGH TASK: Winthrop coach Joe Hudak knew Joe Raccuia would be a good fit the second Radford hired him as the school’s head coach. Raccuia hasn’t done anything to prove Hudak wrong, leading RU to 24 victories. In the three previous seasons, Radford won 32 games combined. RU won two of three from the Eagles in the regular season in Rock Hill, S.C., so Hudak isn’t taking Radford, the Eagles’ opponent tonight, lightly. “They‘re a club that puts a lot of pressure on you,” Hudak said. “If they get a lead, they‘ll hit and run against you and run themselves into some runs. They‘re playing as well as anyone right now.”
INSIDE THE BOX: VMI is winless in three Big South tournament games. The Keydets haven’t won a conference tournament game since beating Furman in the 2003 Southern Conference tourney.
STAR OF THE GAME: Winthrop outfielder Bryn Henderson went 2-for-4 with a two doubles and three RBIs.
QUOTEABLE: “Bowman is a great pitcher. He’s a kid, once he gets in a groove, he’s tough to beat. We came out ready. We got some big hits early on. When you get a four-run lead against a kid like that, that’s a great start for our club.” — Hudak.
— Chris Lang, Media General News Service