HOUSTON, Texas - Chicago State baseball opened its 2012 season here this afternoon by holding its own against host Texas Southern at McGregor Park, but the host team produced five runs after the fifth inning to claim a 9-4 win.
CSU (0-1) produced a 4-2 advantage over the first four-plus innings before the Tigers (3-1) evened the score at 4-4 following the seventh inning to start their final run.
Senior Jeremy Rataczyk (Highland, Ind.) paced the Green and White by hitting 2-of-4, while freshman Mattingly Romanin (Burlington, ONT/Notre Dame) (Burlington, Ont.) finished 1-of-2 with a double and drove in two runs.
Senior Gregory Day (East Chicago, IN/East Chicago Central) (East Chicago, Ind.) took the loss for CSU as he recorded four strikeouts in six and one-third innings of work, but allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits.
Tyler Flanagan paced TSU offensively with a 2-of-3 effort at the plate with a home run and four RBI. Frank Cruz IV posted four strikeouts in three scoreless relief inning to capture the win on the mound for the Tigers.
Both teams will meet in a doubleheader from McGregor Park tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m.
~CSU~
