By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
Caleb Durbin hit a two run home run in the top of the eleventh inning and it looked like the big hit that Washington was seeking all game but St. Thomas refused to go away. Jake Porter answered Durbin with a two run double to send the game to the twelfth and Matthew Enck ended the game with a double to centerfield that plated Josh Thorp for a 8-7 St. Thomas win in game six of the 2021 D-III World Series at Perfect Game Field.
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- 2021 was anything but usual
Adrian will meet Washington tomorrow at 10 am. St. Thomas plays the winner of the morning elimination game at a schedule 4:30 pm start.
The pressures of extra innings started in the bottom of the tenth. St. Thomas had runners on first and second with no outs but after Charlie Eldredge's atbat there were two outs and a runner on first as the lead runner was picked off and Eldredge struck out. A line out kept the score tied and set up the drama in the eleventh.
In the eleventh, Durbin's two run home run looked every bit the winning hit but Washington was unable to close out the game. In the bottom of the eleventh, Max Moris was on base by a Durbin error and Avery Lehman had joined him with a base hit before Porter stepped up to the plate and sent the game to the next inning and Enck's heroics.
"it is just a belief in yourself," said St. Thomas head coach Chris Olean when asked about getting behind. "It is your mind set. We want to play our brand of baseball."
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| Matthew Enck hit a double in the twelfth inning to send the Tommies onto the field in celebration. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com | More photos from this game |
From the beginning of the contest, both teams had their chances.
St. Thomas manufactured a run in the first with Sam Kulesa. Kulesa had an infield single to second base and was sacrificed to second. He was ruled picked off but upon review the ruling was reversed and Kulesa was awarded third on interference by the Washington second baseman. Jake Peters lifted a drive to right and Kulesa tagged for the game's first run.
In the top of the second, Washington went to work. Clayton Miller singled with one out in the inning. Bo Anderson's grounder was fielded by usually sure handed second baseman Kulesa who booted the ball for his first error of the season. Calleb Kahal's infield single loaded the bases for Ty Dalinghaus who walked for the gift RBI. Hunter Goldberg continued his hot hitting with a single to plate Anderson and Kahal for the 3-1 lead.
Washington added a run in the third on three straight hits to open the inning. Caleb Durbin score on a Miller popup that fell untouched by the pitcher Graham Laubscher who lost the ball in the sun for an infield single.
St. Thomas had an opportunity to tie the game but ran themselves out of opportunities in the fourth. Charlie Bartholomew opened the inning with a base hit down the left field line and took second on a pass ball. Kyle Halverson's single put runners on the corners and Charlie Eldredge's drive eluded the middle infielders to score Bartholomew. Josh Thorp reached on a fielders choice as Halverson broke to the plate on contact. The ball never cleared the infield and Halverson was caught in the rundown. After the tag was applied to Halverson, Eldredge was tagged out at third trying to advance an extra base. Matthew Enck singled home Thorp but what was a one RBI single could easily been a two RBI hit.
Jack Blesch earned the win with 3.0 innings of relief. Tim Tague took the loss in 0.2 inings, having only taken the mount at the nottom of the 12th inning. Halverson and Enck both had three hits for the Tommires to lead all hitters.