Tulane University
TCU
Baseball Clinches C-USA Title With Doubleheader Split vs. TCU
May 20, 2005 | Baseball
May 20, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, La. - It was a day college baseball fans dream about: a doubleheader featuring the top two teams in Conference USA and a pair of nationally-recognized pitchers taking the mound as Tulane's Brian Bogusevic toed the rubber for game one and TCU's Lance Broadway took the hill in the nightcap.
In the end, it was everything a fan could expect plus some. Bogusevic and Broadway posted 10 strikeouts and allowed only four hits apiece in complete-game efforts, and the Green Wave's game one, 5-2 victory gave Tulane the outright Conference USA Championship for the first time since 2001.
Broadway helped the Horned Frogs tie the weekend series with a 6-0 victory in game two, and the two teams will close out the regular-season on Saturday with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. With the split, Tulane is now 46-9 on the year and 23-6 in C-USA play, while TCU stands at 37-17 overall and 20-9 in league action.
"You had two great pitching performances today - Bogusevic going in game one when we won the Conference USA Championship and Broadway in game two was as good as you'll see," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "(Bogusevic) is a big-time pitcher in a big-time game. He got better as the game went on."
Bogusevic (11-1) got his day started on a high note with a strikeout of the first batter he faced, and Tulane gave him the lead in the bottom of the first when senior shortstop Tommy Manzella smoked an RBI double off the wall in right center that allowed junior centerfielder Nathan Southard to score all the way from first.
The Horned Frogs tied the game in the second on an RBI-single off the bat of first baseman Spencer Jackson, but the Green Wave got the lead right back in the home half of the frame when the first three batters of the inning reached on a pair of walks and a hit, and senior second baseman Joe Holland blooped an RBI single into shallow left center. Southard added to the lead with a sacrifice fly to left in the ensuing at-bat, and following a scoreless third, hit a solo home run to left to make it a 4-1 ballgame.
The score remained that way until the sixth when TCU second baseman Chad Huffman hammered a leadoff homer to left, but that would be the last baserunner Bogusevic allowed as the native of Oaklawn, Ill., retired the final 12 hitters of the game, including striking out the side twice.
Game two was a similar story, but the script was flipped as it was Broadway's turn to shine on the diamond. The junior transfer from Dallas Baptist equaled Bogusevic's performance with 10 strikeouts, and the Horned Frog offense provided him with six runs on 11 hits to take the nightcap.
Austin Adams and J.J. Estrada hit doubles in the second to give TCU the only run it would need, and the Horned Frogs increased its advantage with an RBI single by Adams in the third and a two-run homer by Huffman to give the visiting team a 4-0 advantage.
TCU took advantage of a hit batsman, a wild pitch and a key, RBI double by Matt McGuirk to add some insurance in the ninth, but Broadway was in control from the first pitch. The right-hander allowed just two Tulane runners to get as far as second base and only one touched third. He retired the side in order five times, and faced just five more than the minimum to earn his NCAA-leading 13th win of the year.
PREGAME FESTIVITIES: Saturday's regular-season finale will be preceded by the awarding of the Jim & Joan LeBreton Leadership Award and a special ceremony recognizing the Green Wave's five-member senior class of Matt Barket, Greg Dini, Joe Holland, Tommy Manzella and Scott Madden. In addition, University President Dr. Scott Cowen will be on hand to present degrees to Green Wave graduates Manzella and Ricky Faichiled, who are receiving the bachelor's degrees, and Madden, who completed his graduate degree in finance. The ceremonies are schedule to begin at approximately 1:50 p.m. (CDT).
