|
| Daniel Iturrey slides in
ahead of the tag of Cortland State catcher Bryan Marotta to cap off
a double steal in the seventh inning. Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com |
By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Emory took the lead with a two-out rally in the fifth inning and the Eagles’ bullpen made it stand up through a wild finish as they eliminated Cortland State in Game 10 at the 2014 Division III World Series, 9-7.
The Eagles (36-12) put three runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh, stifled a Red Dragons rally in the top of the eighth and held on for the win, moving on to play Southern Maine at noon CT on Monday in an elimination game.
Jared Welch went 3-for-4 with four RBI and Philip Maldari added three hits and knocked in three for Emory.
“These kids don’t want to quit, they don’t want to end the season,” said Emory coach Mike Twardoski. “I’m not surprised about this team in anything.”
Cortland scratched out a run in the top of the seventh to cut its deficit to 6-5 and had a second potential run cut down at plate on a failed double steal. Emory answered with an aggressive inning on the basepaths.
Cortland left fielder Vinny Bomasuto misplayed Daniel Iturrey’s line drive into a three-base error with one out. Jared Kahn walked, putting runners at the corners, and took off for second on a double steal. When he got himself into the rundown, Iturrey made a dash for the plate and slid in ahead of the tag to extend the Eagles lead to 7-5.
Postgame news conferences |
|
|
|
|
“He called the play and I was going either way,” Kahn said. “I was fortunate enough to get a couple of seconds in that rundown and Danny got that good jump and was able to get there in time.”
Iturrey had to make sure Kahn got into the rundown or the throw went through to second before he could take off. “I’m just trying to see what’s going on with the position players, where they’re trying to go,” he said. “More than likely I’m going to move on the first baseman. I saw him going right after Jared, who was running away towards second. That’s when I saw my opportunity to take it home and make that play. Fortunately, I was able to beat and Jared was able to advance.”
It was the kind of aggressive play that Twardoski had been promising the entire World Series.
“I learned a long time ago you have to stay aggressive, whatever you do, especially running the bases,” he said. “This year we have a lot of speed, so it makes it easier, but these kids know how to run the bases. They’re very educated on how to take the extra base.”
Following the double steal, Welch knocked in Kahn with a single to left and Maldari hit a double into the left-field gap to give Emory a 9-5 lead.
The Eagles had taken the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. After a pair of infield groundouts to start the inning, Iturrey hit a line drive off Red Dragons starter Brandon Serio (9-3) and stole second base. Kahn followed with a smash that ate up second baseman Mark DeMilio and brought Iturrey in to score. Welch then launched a double to the wall in left-center to score Kahn and Maldari lined a ball into right to bring Kahn around and chase Serio.
The sun wreaked havoc early on, as each team’s right fielder lost a ball in the sun that led directly to runs. Cortland’s Anthony Iacomini hit a ball in the top of the first inning that Brandon Hannon lost track of, allowing Iacomini to reach base. He came around to score on Max Rosing’s single as part of the Red Dragons’ two-run first inning.
In the bottom of the same inning, Welch skied a fly ball to right which Chris Jackson lost track of, allowing Emory’s first two runs to score in a three-run first.
A fielding miscue set up Cortland’s second-inning rally as well, as No. 9 hitter Michael DeCarr reached on catcher’s interference. He went to third on DeMilio’s hit-and-run single and both came around to score when Bomasuto tomahawked a ball off the upper level of the fence in left field for a double.
After that, however, both starters settled in. Serio retired six consecutive Eagles and got the seventh caught stealing, while Emory’s Hans Hansen (9-2) bettered him by retiring nine Red Dragons in a row before Iacomini deposited a ball just inside the left field foul line for a double. He was stranded at third when Hansen got Chris Jackson and Max Rosing to fly out, ending the threat.
Cortland State (36-10) saw the ride end in the Division III World Series for the third time in five years, and Joe Brown had a lot to say about his seniors: “I’m not easy to play for. I think I maxed out being here. These guys, seniors sometimes can be our greatest challenges and great assets, and your greatest assets. We challenged them big time because we felt we had a group that if they could just get tough and do the little things, we could compete for a national championship.
“When the seniors started taking off is when this team took off.”
DeMilio, who went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, concurred. “We have a special group of guys and to see everything unfold these past two days it’s very disappointing. It’s disheartening because the group of seniors have been very challenged all year. To see them go out without a proper party, it’s very disheartening for all of us.”
Hansen went 6.2 innings for Emory, allowing 10 hits and four earned runs in improving to 9-2. Monk threw the final 2.1 for his seventh save.