| D3baseball.com All-American Jackson Weeg pitched Emory to their first ever opening round win in the D-III World Series. d3photography.com photo by Steve Frommell |
Postgame news conferences
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By Austin Walther
for D3baseball.com
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- A five-run sixth inning erased a three-run deficit for Emory and lifted the Eagles to a 9-7 win over Trinity (Texas) 9-7 in what began as a pitcher’s duel in Game 3 of the 2015 NCAA Division III World Series from Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis.
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Emory led off the sixth with two straight walks and Wilson Morgan doubled to put the Eagles on the board. After a wild pitch, two more walks and a sacrifice fly, Emory tied the game at three. Ben Vizvary pinched hit for Jordan Selbach, drove in two runs which gave Emory the lead for good and put the score 5-3.
“The walks helped loosen the guys up,” Vizvary said. “We were able to find that one pitch we like and no one wanted to stop playing.”
The first three innings was shaping into a pitchers dual. Both Jackson Weeg for Emory and Ryan Gray for Trinity had no-hitters. Trinity recorded the first hit of the game off of a leadoff single by Connor Moore in the fourth and he came around to score after Drew Butler hit a sacrifice fly.
Moore came up again in the fifth with two outs and scored Austin Singer with a base hit. He scored his second run in two innings after Colin Serkowski drove him in and Trinity extended its lead 3-0.
“Those were tough minded, seeing-eye single offensive runs,” coach Tim Scannell said. “Everything was on our side.”
| Ben Vizvary's pinch hit in the sixth inning score three runs and put Emory ahead for good. d3photography.com photo by Steve Frommell |
Weeg bounced back and got through the next three innings without giving up another run. He received more run support with a three run seventh inning.
“I was having a lot of success with the changeup,” Weeg said. “Chris [Young] called a great game and the guys were making great plays behind me.”
Chris Young led off the inning with a single and later scored when Phillip Maldari reached on an error. Wes Peacock then drove in Lake and Vizvary recorded his third RBI from a sacrifice fly. The seventh inning ended with Emory ahead 8-3.
Young was able to connect on a double with one out and scored after a pair of throwing errors to put the score 9-3 in favor of Emory.
Emory ended the game with three stolen bases. Head coach Mike Twardoski said being aggressive on the base path is their game and they had to stick to that against Trinity.
“I teach that every day in practice,” Twardoski said. “If you are going against a pitching staff like that [Trinity] you have to be able to stretch plays into doubles and triples.”
Emory’s closer Kyle Monk came in for the ninth in a non-save situation and got into trouble early. He walked the bases loaded, but was able to strike out Moore. Monk then hit Serkowski to score a run for Trinity. After a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly out, the Eagles came within two, but the game ended with Jose Santos flying out to second.
Emory head coach Mike Twardoski said this was nothing new to them.
“That’s the way we’ve played all year,” Twardoski said. “I just instilled that in them and said, why not do what we have done all year and fight back.”
Emory advances to play the winner of UW-La Crosse and Salisbury at 7:45 p.m. and Trinity will play the loser at 4:30 p.m.