Baseball beats Houston-Victoria, 3-1

Freshman Reed pitches the Falcons past the Jaguars

Casey Reed earned his first collegiate win tonight at Houston-Victoria

Victoria, TX - Behind a dazzling pitching performance from freshman Casey Reed (Ossipee, NH), the Fisher College Baseball team beat the University of Houston at Victoria tonight by a final score of 3-1.

Making his first collegiate start, the Kingswood Regional High graduate kept the Jaguar hitters off balance all night. He threw 8.0 innings allowing UHV to just four hits and one run while striking out eight. Reed also did not allow a walk but he did hit a batter.

"Tremendous." said Fisher College Head Coach Scott Dulin of Reed's performance. "Casey did more than we asked him to. This was the best win that we have had as a team that I can remember."

The Fisher bats came alive. After Reed allowed UHV to take the 1-0 lead in the third, the Fisher offense scored twice to take the lead that they never relinquished. Senior Alfredo Torres (Lawrence, MA) reached second to begin the inning after the UHV second baseman's error. He would come around to score when junior Reynaldo Nunez (Santiago, Dominican Republic) laced a line drive over the third basemen's outstretched glove. Fisher would score the second run via another UHV error. Courtesy runner, sophomore Richie Welch (Everett, MA) came around and scored when the shortstop booted a ground ball hit by senior Juan Eusebio (Union City, NJ).

In the fifth, senior Edwin Pena (Union City, NJ) who reach on an error to begin the frame. Welch was inserted as the courtesy runner and scored on Nunez's RBI double of the center field wall.

That was all that Reed would need to earn his first victory of the season despite the scare in the ninth. Reed, still on the mound, hit the first batter of the inning and then allowed a base hit. Coach Dulin then would come out and make the call to the bullpen. He summoned senior Patrick Shanahan (Haverhill, MA) to close it out. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Shanahan induced the first batter he faced to pop up in foul territory to the first basemen Torres. The UHV runner, that was on first base, was off with the pitch and Torres was able to make the catch and flip it to Shanahan who stepped on first and doubled off the runner. Now with two away, Shanahan struck out the next batter to end the game and preserve the win for the Falcons.

"I'm speechless. I mixed my pitches effectively and took advantage of their aggressiveness at the plate." said Reed after the win. "To be able to start such an important game is an honor. I'm glad that Coach Dulin gave me this opportunity tonight."

With the win, Fisher improves its record to 5-8 on the season and more importantly to 5-4 on their annual spring break trip. This is the first time in the short nine year history of the program that the Falcons have a winning record during the week long spring break trip.

Fisher College will resume the four game series with Houston-Victoria tomorrow afternoon. The double header will begin at 4 pm (cst).