June 8, 2023

Hardware to the Hornets

More news about: Johns Hopkins | Lynchburg
Lynchburg survived a Game 2 loss and a Johns Hopkins bases loaded situation in the eighth inning to win 7-6 and take home the hardware.
Photo by Doug Sasse, d3photography.com | Photos for D3CS Game 2 | Photos for D3CS Game 3
 

By Jim Dixon
D3baseball.com

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Lynchburg won its first Division III baseball national championship and second-ever NCAA team championship with a 7-6 win over Johns Hopkins in the finale of the 2023 D-III World Series being played on PG Cares Field in Veterans Memorial Stadium. Lynchburg went 3-0 in the bracket round and was 2-1 in the D-III Championship Series.

In the eighth season of the best-of-three championship series, it was just the second time that the D3CS went the full three games, and the first time that Game 3 was decided by one run.

"A rejoicing monent," said Lynchburg head coach Lucas Jones.

"We are obviously disappointed," said Johns Hopkins head coach Bob Babb. "We thought we can win both games . Proud of the way they battled."

Zack Potts was named the Most Outstanding Player with a win in the bracket round and in Game 1 of the D3CS.

In game two of the D-III Championship Series, the fifth inning turned out to be just what Johns Hopkins head coach Bob Babb forecast yesterday to force a third game in the D-III Championship Series. The Blue Jays won 7-3.

"I knew it gas going to be the last time I would pitch," said Johns Hopkins Game 2 starting pitcher Gabe Romano. "I wanted to make sure we would get a second game."

With both team short on starting pitchers, game three was left to the relievers as both Lynchburg and Johns Hopkins "starters" had a combined one start this year. Lyncburg's Jack Bachmore pitched five innings while Ben Keever never made it out of the first inning for Johns Hopkins.

It was the last Division III World Series game held in Cedar Rapids. Next year's event will be held in Eastlake, Ohio.

Both Game 2 and Game 3 are included in this wrapup.

GAME 3

Like Game 2, Johns Hopkins opened the scoring in the first. Matthew Cooper singled to left and scored on Dillon Souvignier's triple that split the right and centerfielders. Shawn Steuerer fly ball to left was deep enough to score Souvignier. Sam Frank walked and scored when Caleb Cyr sent a Jack Bachmore into the seats beyond left field.

Lynchburg fought back with a two spot in their part of the first. Walks to Brandon Garcia and Avery Neaves came around to score. They were plated on a single off the bat of Gavin Collins whose drive to left fell in front of the fielder.

Ben Jones two run home run in the second evened things up. Holden Fiedler had led off the inning with a single and was on base when Jones stepped to the plate.

Lynchburg's Bachmore and Johns Hopkins reliever Cole Jefferson put up zeros for a pair of innings before a sole shot to left broke the tie in favor of the Blue Jays. Souvingier had singled before but was picked off. On the next pitch, Sam Frank sent his offering into the left field seats.

The Hornets answered. Jefferson hit Neaves and walked Sean Pokorak. This ended the day for Jefferson and he was replaced by Jasper Carmichael. A walk to Eric Hiett loaded the bases. Two batters later Jackson Harding doubled to the right-center gap to clear the bases and had Lynchburg a 7-5 lead.

Johns Hopkins came up with a run in the eighth to make it a one run ball game. Walks loaded the bases and Dylan Whitney singled to center to bring in San Frank but a strike to the catcher was received in plenty of time and he tagged pinch hitter Lukas Geer for the second out. A walk brought to the plate Cooper who had homered in the early game. A called third strike ended the threat, keeping the Hornets up one run.

Game 2

A five-run fifth for the Blue Jays turned their fortunes positive as Johns Hopkins turned a deficit into a comfortable lead. The biggest hit of the inning also traveled the furthest. Cooper hit a moon shot that the left fielder just watched it fly.

Johns Hopkins opened the scoring in the first. Cooper was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a walk to Souvignier. An error and a fielder's choice earned the Blue Jays run number one. Another walk reloaded the bases with one out but Brandon Pond got a ball back to himself for an out and a groundout to third to keep it a one run inning.

Lynchburg answered the bell with two of their own to end the first a run up on the Blue Jays. Garcia doubled and moved to third on an errant throw by the shortstop, allowing Neaves to reach. A hit batter moved everyone up and Garcia scored on a pass ball with Neaves taking third. A groundout scored Neaves giving the Hornets a 2-1 lead after one inning.

The Hornets added one more in the second. Harding singled up the middle of the infield and stole second. Singles by Holden Fiedler and Garcia moved Harding from second to home with Garcia credited with the RBI.

Johns Hopkins drew closer with a run in the third. Souvignier opened the frame with a double to left field and scored on Tripp Myers safety to right.

The five-run fifth for the Johns Hopkins returned the lead to the Blue Jays. After Cooper's first home run of the series, and his 25th of the year, Souvignier doubled to the left-center gap. A miscue by Neaves in left put runners on the corners. Cyr walked to load the sacks. Jimmy Stevens doubled in two as his ball fell inside the right field near the fence. That was all for Pond who exited in favor of Matt Cassidy. Dillion Whitney greeted Cassidy with a single to plate two more runs.

Johns Hopkins added two more in the eighth to pad their lead. Whitney got his third hit of the day and his at-bat was followed by a walk to the pinch hitter, Charlie Monterrosa. Jake Siani pinched ran for Montarrosa as the top of the order was back. Cooper drove in two with a drive that skipped past the left fielder to the fence for a stand-up double.

Johns Hopkins added two runs in the ninth on a home run by Stevens. Cyr walked before the big fly.

Lynchburg rallied for three runs in the ninth. Garcia tripled in the first run, the rightfielder almost got there but it was just off his glove. Pinch hitter Logan Webster was on base via an error by the second baseman. Garcia scored on Jones' double who in turn scored on Neaves single. With the clean-up hitter up, Romana struckout Sean Pokorak to send the D3CS to a game three.