| Webster's Cody Stevenson gets
in scoring position in the third inning with a one-out
triple. d3photography.com photo by Larry Radloff |
The defending champion advanced into the winners bracket and both first-time Championship teams went the opposite direction in the first day of the 2012 Division III Baseball Championships.
- Friday's results, live video, live stats
- Saturday's schedule
- Championship preview
- The third dogpile
- Webster's next step
- Eight teams with hope
- D3baseball.com All-American team
- Follow @d3baseball on Twitter
The Lyons scratched out a 3-2 win over Webster with two first inning runs and a third aided by a misplay by the rightfielder. Webster made it interesting in the ninth with a run but left the tying run in scoring position.
Game 2 featured two powerhouse programs in Cortland State and Kean. On a day where pitching typically dominates, it was a wild start to the game with each team scoring single runs in the first two innings. Cortland took control of the game with seven runs in the fourth while keeping Kean from a big inning of their own. The Red Dragons held on to win 10-5.
In a late afternoon contest, Christopher Newport took an early 2-0 lead on St. Thomas through two innings but in the third the Tommies scored nine runs to erase the Captains lead. CNU score two more in the third to cut the St. Thomas lead to five runs. St. Thomas added runs in the fifth and sixth to make the score 12-4 before the Captains scored three to make the 12-7 final seem closer. The Tommies will face defending champion Marietta, which jumped out to a big lead in Austin Blaski's start before the Pioneers' ace and D3baseball.com Pitcher of the Year was pulled after six innings. Marietta beat Whitworth 13-2.