Watson Deals as @NCBearsBasebase Picks Up Series Opening Win

Thursday, May 18

Pueblo, Colo.

3:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

20-28, 8-14

Chicago State

11-39, 7-15

Chicago State

Northern Colorado

5/18/2017 7:51:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Northern Colorado baseball picked up a 10-0 win over Chicago State behind the strong seven innings of Troy Watson

By: Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

PUEBLO, Colo. – Northern Colorado baseball started its weekend on the right note with a 10-0 win over Chicago State. The Bears pitched the shutout thanks to the right arm of freshman Troy Watson.

How It Happened
Northern Colorado starter Troy Watson was in a jam in the first, seeing Chicago State load the bases with just one out. He was able to get out of the jam though with a pair of strike outs.

The Bears returned the favor in the bottom of the first loading the bases themselves. It started when Jack Pauley was hit by a pitch with two outs. Cole Maltese and Brett Minnick then reached on a walk and error to load them up. Evan Johnson worked another walk for the first run of the game.

Dean Lawson started the second inning for UNC with an infield single, and another rally for the team. After advancing on Tyler Yamaguchi's sacrifice bunt and stealing third, Lawson scored on a Nick Tanner ground out.

The lead increased to 4-0 in the fourth thanks to another two-out rally. Northern Colorado had back-to-back singles by Yamaguchi and Tanner to start the rally. Alex Kiel proceeded to walk, loading the bases with Jack Pauley stepping into the batter's box. He came through with a two-RBI single up the middle to add onto the team's lead.

Following a weather delay UNC added on another run in the fifth, when Payton Tapia hit a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Minnick.

While the Bears offense added to its lead in the seventh with another run, starter Troy Watson was dealing on the mound for the team, throwing seven scoreless innings.

Northern Colorado put an end to the game in the eighth inning when they scored four runs to 10-run rule CSU. Evan Johnson delivered the game-ending hit with a bases loaded triple to right center to clear the bases.

Game Changer
Freshman Troy Watson was dealing on the mound Thursday afternoon. The righty from Gunter, Texas had his best outing as a Bear, going seven shutout innings, allowing seven hits and walking three, while striking out five. Watson's pitching stranded nine Chicago State runners on base.

Notable
- The three through six spot in UNC's lineup did big damage at the plate Thursday afternoon, combining to go 8-for-14 in the game scoring six of the teams 10 runs and driving in eight of them. Evan Johnson led the way with four RBIs, while Jack Pauley, Cole Maltese and Brett Minnick each scored twice.
- UNC was aggressive on the base paths all day recording five stolen bases. It is the second time this season the Bears have stole five or more bases, the other came against Regis on March 21st.
- Brett Minnick recorded his 23rd double of the season to move into third place by himself on UNC's single season list. He is now just four behind Patrick Perry's program record of 27 in a season.

Quotable
Head Coach Carl Iwasaki
"It was an absolute great start for the series with Troy Watson going seven complete innings and helping us earn the shutout. We have to come back out tomorrow and compete again just like we did today on the mound. The middle of the order was big for us in the batter's box. We are swinging the bats well right now and we are going to have to keep on doing that to make it to Arizona which is our focus and goal this weekend."

Freshman Pitcher Troy Watson
"I felt like I was in a groove early on, I just wanted to throw strikes and let my defense do their job and knew the offense would do theirs at the plate as well."

What's Next?
UNC and Chicago State will continue their weekend series tomorrow at 1 pm. The game will once again be played in Pueblo at Rawlings Field on the campus of CSU-Pueblo.