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Tim Wilson's leadoff double in the first inning set
the tone for Linfield. |
By Ryan Smith
for D3sports.com
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- The Linfield Wildcats were able to escape with an 8-6 victory in Game 2 of the NCAA Division III College World Series as they held off a furious late rally by the Ithaca Bombers.
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Ithaca, who was shut down early, fought back from a 7-0 hole with six runs in the final three innings to put a scare into the top-ranked Wildcats.
“It looks like there was two halves to a game.” Ithaca coach George Valesente said. “The first half we were feeling our way. They were hitting the ball well, they did things they needed to do offensively … the second half of the game we really showed our grit. We have done it all year long, we fought back at the end.”
Coming from behind is nothing new to the Bombers.
“It has been a common theme,” Valesente said. “We have fought back a number of times this year and put rallies together.”
Linfield infielder Tim Wilson scored three runs for the Wildcats, including one in the first inning after he led the game off with a double.
“As a leadoff hitter, my job is to create momentum for the team,” Wilson said. “One of my biggest strengths as a player is my enthusiasm for the game so when I got that leadoff double I knew it was a big hit for us. I knew Corey [VanDomelen] would at least get me over and with the middle of the lineup I knew we were going to score.”
The hot start was huge for the Wildcats as they turned offensive production into a big lead early on.
“It is great to capture momentum early in the game,” Linfield coach Scott Brosius said. “The key is to try to keep it … you go in with the mentality that there is never enough runs.”
Two of Division III’s top pitchers squared off in game two with Linfield’s Chris Haddeland and Ithaca’s Pat Lemmo. Haddeland finished the regular season at 13-1 with a 0.99 ERA and was named D3baseball.com’s Pitcher of the Year. Lemmo went 11-1 and a 1.44 ERA and was a first team All-American.
Linfield got off to a hot start following the leadoff double from Wilson. Junior outfielder Nick Fisher drove in Wilson on a sacrifice fly to center to give the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.
Haddeland sent the top of the Ithaca order down one-two-three in the bottom half of the first.
Linfield put pressure on Lemmo again in the third after Wilson legged out a fielder’s choice. Wilson quickly advanced to third on a Corey VanDomelen single. Lemmo then walked Fisher to load the bases with only one out before All-American Jake Wylie drove in a pair of Wildcats runs with a single to right. Fisher scored on a RBI single from junior center fielder Kramer Lindell. The Wildcats got one more in the top half of the third when junior first baseman Clayton Truex drove in Wylie on a fielder’s choice to put Linfield up 5-0.
Linfield quickly got two base runners in the fourth following a pair of singles from senior second baseman Michael Hopp and VanDomelen. Lemmo struck out Fisher to end the rally and strand the Wildcats.
The Wildcats got two more in the top half of the sixth off of Bombers reliever Matt Colbert. VanDomelen drove in Kyle Chamberlain with an RBI single before he eventually scored on a Colbert passed ball.
Ithaca mounted its first rally in the bottom of the seventh inning backed by six singles but were only able to cash in for two runs. Second baseman Tim Henry got gunned down at home for the first out before Max Addy knocked a single up the middle that scored Colby Gee for the Bombers’ first run of the game. Center fielder Luke Stark drove in another run two batters later but Linfield still hung on to a 7-2 lead.
The Wildcats answered in the top of the eighth behind a controversial home run down the right field line from Wilson. First base umpire Johnny Pineda ruled the homer fair inside of the foul pole. The solo shot put Linfield on top 8-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Ithaca kept the momentum going in its half of the eighth as it brought in three more runs off of Wildcat reliever Justin Huckins. Shortstop Tim Locastro started the rally by stretching a single and an error and ending up on third base. Henry dumped a single into left to score Locastro and give the Bombers their first run of the inning. Addy drove in another run before Corey Caswell scored on a passed ball. Stark grounded into a double play to finish the rally but not before Ithaca brought the game to 8-5.
The Wildcats called upon Joseph Stevick to close the game out in the ninth. An error committed by VanDomelen to lead off the inning gave Ithaca an early base runner. Locastro followed him with a single down the third base line and Tim Henry loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. Gee drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to center for the first out. Addy struck out swinging with the bases loaded for the second out before Matt Connolly lined one to center only to be robbed by a Lindell diving catch.
Brosius was not surprised by how Ithaca got hot later in the game and gave Linfield a run for its money.
“That is what you would expect,” Brosius said. “Everyone here is good, they’re here because they battle their way through tough games like that. You certainly didn’t expect that team to go away.”
Haddeland got the win after he went seven innings, surrendering two runs on eight hits. Lemmo took the loss after he gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings.
Linfield will take on Southern Maine at 4:30 p.m. CT in the winner’s bracket Saturday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Linfield news conference
Ithaca news conference