By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
Cedar Rapids - The pitching of Griffin Young and the hitting of Jacob Studley were a potent combination as Wheaton (Mass.) defeated Rowan to advance into the winners game of Bracket number two in the D-III College World Series.
- D3baseball.com World Series Scoreboard
- World Series: Day one
- D-III World Series Record Book
- The D3baseball.com World Series Program
- D-III World Series Bracket
- 2021 was anything but usual
I am proud of the way we played," said Wheaton head coach Eric Podbelski. "We played a good clean game in every way. That was what you need to do to beat a team like Rowan."
Brody Ashley opened the first inning hitting barrage with a leadoff double. Following a ground out, Studley hit a bomb the generously cleared the fence in left for the Lyon's first runs of he game. Zach DeMattio added a double and was plated by Andew Spirito.
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| Griffin Young pitched a complete game shutout, keeping the Wheaton bull pen fresh for games two and three in the D-III College World Series. photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com |
Young went to work, getting four strikeouts the first time through the order and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, giving up the first safety of the day to Eric DiDomenico, the sixteenth batter he faced.
I was a little nervous pitching in my first World Series, said Young. "Being able to sit in the dugout and have a three run lead gives me the confidence to throw strikes. My catcher calls all the pitches and was calling a great game. I just have to execute whatever he calls."
I give a lot of credit to the Wheaton pitcher," said Rowan head coach Mike Dickson "He threw first pitch strikes all day and was fantastic all game."
Wheaton added a run in the fourth and another in the eighth. Patrick Santorella doubled to right and scored when the Rowan first baseman whiffed on a ground out off the bat of Ashley in th fourth. In the eighth, singles by Nick Croteau and Ashley put runners on the corners. George Mulcahey lifted a drive to deep center and Croteau scored easily on the sacrifice fly.
Wheaton added their final run in the ninth on a Spirito single.
Young earned the win. He allowed five hits and struck out nine. Drew Ryback took the loss with four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 6.1 innings pitched. Ashley led all batters with three hits in five trip to the plate. DeMattio scored a game high two runs and Studley drove in two.