|
| UW-Stevens Point athletics photo by Kylie Bridenhagen |
Super regionals opening day was anything but super. Five of the eight games were played with three postponed to Saturday because of weather.
It was yet another comeback win for No. 12 UW-Stevens Point (39-8) and it was Kyle Finger's walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth that lifted the Pointers to a 10-9 win over No. 9 UW-Whitewater (36-10) in game one of the NCAA Super Regional round. Finger, who entered in the ninth, got the walk-off hit as redemption after a costly miscue in the top of the ninth that allowed the Warhawks to tie the game. Jakob Boos led the UWSP offense with a 4-for-4 day as a pair of RBI. UWSP's starting catcher Anthony Tomczak had two hits as did first baseman Quin Henwood. Both scored twice with Henwood also driving in one. Logan Matson added two RBI from the nine-hole in the lineup. UWSP's top three hitters Matt Baumann, Aaron Simmons and Payton Nelson all had an RBI each.
Baldwin Wallace faced Endicott in Game 1 of the best-of-three NCAA Division III Baseball Super Regionals series. The Yellow Jackets topped the Gulls by a 4-2 final score. The Yellow Jackets (36-11) earned the 2-0 jump on a two-run home run over left field by senior All-Mideast Region shortstop Alex Ludwick. BW was tied 2-2 with the Gulls (40-9) for three innings until sophomore catcher Mark Mohnickey, Jr hit a solo homerun over left center field to give the Yellow Jackets the big advantage. BW was also led by senior All-OAC utility player Drew Wilson and he shutout the Gulls, pitching four scoreless innings. Earning the win on the mound, Wilson tied the BW single season pitching wins record, notching his ninth of the season.
Senior right-hander Billy Oldham pitched at least seven innings for the ninth time in 13 starts this year and senior center fielder Ryan Bagdasarian hit a back-breaking two-run home run with two out in the fourth inning that carried No. 1 ranked Eastern Connecticut to a 6-1 win over Rowan University in the first game of the best-of-three NCAA Division III Super Regional tournament Friday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium. With its 17th consecutive win – eighth straight in Little East Conference and NCAA tournament play – Rochester Regional titlist Eastern (43-3) moves to within a win of qualifying for its 13th NCAA Division III national tournament. Rowan (33-9), the Annville, PA Regional champ, needs two wins to clinch its second straight – eighth overall – trip to the NCAA national tournament. Both teams will have to wait a few days as the Saturday starts have been moved to Sunday.
Trinity (Texas) held on in game one of its best-of-three NCAA Super Regionals series with a 9-8 victory at third-ranked Birmingham-Southern on Friday afternoon. Trinity improved its record to 36-11 this season, which now includes a pair of wins over BSC. The Tigers beat the Panthers 7-4 earlier this season and now hold a slim 5-4 edge in overall games between the two teams. Birmingham-Southern fell to 41-9 with the loss. Today was a back-and-forth game as both teams jockeyed for the series-opening win. Trinity took the first lead, then after BSC tied things up, the Tigers quickly pulled back in front. Birmingham-Southern had a go-ahead grand slam to take its first lead of the game in the fifth. The Tigers tied things up 6-6 in the sixth, then added three runs in the eighth to seemingly take control of the game. The Panthers scratched two runs across and had runners in scoring position when Trinity was able to escape with the win. Game two of the series will begin tomorrow afternoon, with the series finale to follow (if necessary). Trinity can clinch a spot in the NCAA Division III World Series with a single win, while BSC will have to sweep both games of the doubleheader to advance.
Fourth-ranked LaGrange walked off with a 7-6 win over Chapman in 10 innings at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Super Regional series with a berth in the D3 College World Series on the line. Game 2 and the if-necessary third game will be played on Saturday. The Panthers (41-6) watched a 6-3 ninth inning lead evaporate on A J Anzai's two-out bases-clearing double off reliever Cael Chatham that tied the game for Chapman (34-13). Chatham bounced back by retiring the visiting Panthers in order in the top of the 10th. Adam Dorn led off the LC 10th with an infield single to short. Rhett Hebert walked, and Gabriel Pallo laid down a perfect bunt for his fourth hit of the game to load the bases and bring Rhett Mixon to the plate. Reliever Dylan Holt walked Mixon on four straight pitches to force in Dorn with the winning run.