| LeTourneau athletics photo |
The record-breaking season for the LeTourneau University
baseball team added another chapter to the lore with a 6-4 win over
Concordia in the finals of the American Southwest Conference
Baseball Championship Tournament in Austin.
The YellowJackets (32-13) were making their first-tournament
appearance, relied on the strength of solid pitching from senior
Curt Copeland and a nine-hit attack that saw
six-different players record a hit.
The Tornados (31-14) withstood elimination twice after dropping an
earlier meeting in the tournament to LeTourneau.
With the win, LeTourneau secures an automatic bid into the 2014
NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Tournament for the
first-ever berth for the YellowJackets.
"This is the biggest win in LeTourneau history," said head coach
Robin Harriss. "The guys came out and played great. We
came out a bit nervous, yesterday and overcame that hurdle, today.
It is a tremendous day for our club and our University."
Copeland, who has been the ace of the LeTourneau staff for the
last two years, got the starting nod. The senior answered the
challenge with a 6.2 inning performance, allowing seven hits, three
runs – all earned and struck out en route to the win to
improve to 8-2. For his efforts on Sunday as well as earlier in the
tournament opener against Louisiana College, he was selected the
Tournament MVP.
In relief of Copeland, juniors Justin Jenkins got a
strikeout to end the seventh before handing the ball off to junior
Cody Whitley, who pitched the final two innings, allowed
three hits and an earned run to pick up his first save of the
season.
LeTourneau scored three times in the third inning for a 3-0 lead.
In the inning, the YellowJackets capitalized on an errant pickoff
attempt that set the stage for the rest of the inning.
Sophomore Sean Sellers had his first of three hits,
scoring junior Caleb Pritchett from third, which had
earlier in the inning reached on a walk. A RBI single by graduate
student Garrett Methvin scored Bryce Griffin
from second, who had reached by a hit by pitch earlier. The third
run came in on a Ryan Bertram fielder's choice to score
Sellers.
The YellowJackets added to their lead when they capitalized on an
error and a RBI double down the left-field line by Sellers in the
fifth for a 5-0 lead in the fourth.
LeTourneau added to its lead in the fifth when they scored on a
fielder's choice as Chris Bertram drove in Dillon
Yates to take a 6-0 lead.
A two-RBI single by Brent Schaekel and a RBI single by Brandon
Hollier ended the afternoon for Copeland as the Tornados cut the
YellowJacket lead to 6-3 in the seventh. Then, Harriss went to
Justin Jenkins out of the bullpen that got a strikeout
to end the rally for Concordia.
In the eighth inning, Concordia mounted another threat with
back-to-back one out doubles to cut the deficit to two. Then,
Whitley got the second out of the inning on a pop out. With two
out, Yates bobbled a pitch by Whitley behind the plate. The
sophomore scooped up the loose ball and caught Hutton attempting to
steal third to end the inning.
Whitley started the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts before
Schaekel reached on an infield single. Then, Hollier grounded to
Bryce Griffin at shortstop, which made a diving stop and
he made the flip to freshman Kyle Jacobs at second to
end the game.
LeTourneau was well represented on the All-Tournament Team
including Dillon Yates at catcher, Garrett
Methvin at first base, Bryce Griffin at shortstop,
Sean Sellers at outfield, Cody Whitley as
pitcher and Curt Copeland as the Tournament MVP.