Baseball 3/25/02 -- Clarke (Iowa) 7, Augsburg 2

GAME BOXSCORE

FORT MYERS, Fla. (3/25/02) -- John Howerton struck out five Augsburg College batters and allowed just two runs in a complete-game, nine-inning performance, leading Clarke College (Iowa) to a 7-2 victory over Augsburg College in a Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic baseball game on Monday morning at Terry Park.

Howerton limited Augsburg hitters to just eight hits and his defense scored three double plays in the game, as Clarke improved to 3-8. Augsburg drops to 3-10, having lost its last six games in a row.

Clarke held a 3-0 lead after five innings, but the Auggies cut the advantage to 3-2 after seven innings. But the Crusaders scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to clinch the victory.

The Crusaders opened the scoring in the third, when Jake Kiser drove in Ryan Mink on a one-out single. Two more runs came across in the fifth, as Robert Chavez and Nicky Ortiz drove in runs on a single.

Augsburg plated two runs in the seventh, as Ryan Krautkremer (Sr., Waseca, Minn.) doubled to drive in Pat Marsh (Sr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS), and Dave Sherry (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) singled to bring in Krautkremer.

Clarke took advantage of two Augsburg fielding errors in the decisive eighth inning, scoring four runs. Jerry Zieser and Chavez drove in runs on singles, and two more came across as a result of a fielding error.

Auggie starter Nick Rathmann (Jr., Waseca, Minn.) lasted into the eighth inning, striking out six while walking only two. Just two of the six runs scored against him were earned.

Marsh went 3-for-4 with a triple to lead the Auggies, while Krautkremer went 2-for-4. Chavez had a 3-for-4 day with two RBI for the Crusaders, while Zieser had two hits.

Augsburg returns to action in the Gene Cusic Classic on Tuesday (3/26), facing Colby (Maine) at 2 p.m.

Clarke (Iowa) 7, Augsburg 2
Augsburg -- 000 000 200 -- 2-8-3
Clarke -- 001 020 04x -- 7-12-2
Rathmann, Bauer (8) and Gross; Howerton and Van Fleet. WP-Howerton, LP-Van Fleet. T-2:15. A-50.