In nail-biting fashion, the Aurora University Spartans
(D3baseball.com #19) captured the 2012 Northern Athletics
Conference tournament championship defeating Concordia University
Chicago Cougars 6-5 in 10 innings Saturday afternoon in Fond du
Lac, Wis.
In winning the third straight NAC tournament championship, AU will
advance to play in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships for
the third consecutive season and 20th in the 30 years AU has been
an NCAA institution.
AU won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning on a one-out
double to right center field by junior catcher Ryan McMahon that
scored junior outfielder Mike Foley with the winning run. Foley had
reached to start the inning with an infield single and moved to
scoring position on a bunt basehit by senior outfielder Josh
Davidson which set up the game winner.
The Spartans fell behind early to the Cougars as Concordia scored
one run off AU starting pitcher Steve Sitterly in the top of the
first inning. Senior outfielder Ryan Adams kept Concordia from a
bigger inning as he threw out a Cougar baserunner at the plate with
McMahon making the tag on Concordia's catcher Nick Skala.
AU would respond and take the lead back in the bottom of the
second inning off Concordia starting pitcher Kurt Kempema. The trio
of Foley, Davidson and McMahon combined for the first time in the
second inning with Foley singling and moving to second on the first
of two bunt basehits on the day for Davidson. Both moved up a base
on a passed ball and then scored on a single to center by
McMahon.
Concordia would answer back immediately in the top of the third,
scoring three runs on four hits and exploiting a big Spartan error.
With two-outs and two on, Skala singled to center to score the
first run of the inning for the Cougars. Sitterly looked to get out
of the inning with no more damege as he got a fly ball to left
field that Davidson was camped underneath. But Davidson would
misplay the ball at the last second allowing one Cougar to score
for a 3-2 lead. Following a basehit to right by the next Cougar
hitter, the visitors held a 4-2 lead.
The Cougars would maintain the 4-2 lead into the fifth inning and
looked like they would add to the lead. Sitterly gave up three
singles with one-out to load the bases and was lifted for junior
relief pitcher Kevin Day. Day came on and worked out of the jam
with a pop-out to senior shortstop Bobby Wilson and a line-out to
Foley in right.
AU would take the momentum from Day's quick relief work in the
bottom of the fifth inning, scoring three runs of their own to take
a 5-4 lead. Senior Tim Mackey led off with a walk and scored on a
double by freshman second baseman Carlos Olivarria. Olavarria moved
to third when senior first baseman Brett Van Asdlen reached on an
error by the Cougar third baseman and then scored on a single by
junior designated hitter Cory Walden. Van Asdlen later scored on a
single by Davidson.
The Spartans and Day mowed through the Cougar hitters over the
next two and one-third innings before a pinch-hit double gave the
visitors some life in the eighth inning. A single and fielder's
choice (Foley threw out a base-runner at second base on a ball hit
to right field) tied the game 5-5 and after a walk put Cougars on
first and second, AU Head Coach Shaun Neitzel went back to his
bullpen, bringing on junior Tom Ozlanski to face the heart of the
Concordia order. Ozlanski hit his first batter he faced to load the
bases for Skala, the Cougar clean-up hitter. Ozlanski got Skala to
fly out to center to end the inning and the big scoring chance.
Concordia relief pitcher Tim Milroy held down the Spartans in the
bottom of the eighth. Milroy came on in the sixth inning for the
Cougars and seemed to have his way with the Spartan bats.
Ozlanski put a scare into the Spartan fans in attendance and gave
the Concordia fans a glimpse of hope in the top of the ninth.
Ozlanski hit the lead-off hitter, Shawn Miller who advanced to
second on a sacrifice bunt. Cougar Cam Stephens singled sharply to
right field but a quick throw back to the middle of the diamond
kept Miller from scoring in the play, which would prove to be a
huge play. With Foley keeping the Cougars from scoring the go-ahead
run, Ozlanski got a weak pop-out to short right before enducing a
ground out that Wilson handled easily.
The Spartans got a two-out single by Adams off Milroy in the ninth
but could not get anything more, putting the game into extra
innings.
As had been the case in the previous two innings, Concordia put
pressure on the Spartan defense and pitchers in the top of the 10th
inning. With one-out, Concordia's Brendan Schulz lined a single off
the right leg of Ozlanski that bounded to Mackey but his throw went
wide allowing Schulz to move into second with one out. AU junior
Luke Gilbertson came on in relief of Ozlanski as he was unable to
finish after the line drive. As had been the recipe of the previous
two Spartan relievers, Gilbertson struck out Cougar Anthony Even
and got Skala to fly out to Adams in center, setting up the
eventful and final at bat for Aurora.
With the win, AU improves to 36-8 on the season with their next
action coming in the NCAA regional. The NCAA will announce the 2012
field and assignments on Monday, May 14, 2012.