By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com
EASTLAKE, Ohio - Jared Hoffman's ninth inning, two-out pinch hit broke a 2-2 tie and with the Cougar style of aggressiveness, they forced a second bracket title game with a 3-2 win over Lynchburg at Classic Auto Group Park in the 2024 DIII World Series.
"Jared has been a guy for us for the last few weeks," said Misericordia head coach Pete Egbert. "To knew he was going to come up in a big situation and we have all the confidence in him. Gutsy performance by so many guys. To hold that team to two runs is unbelievable."
"You have to stay ready," said Hoffman. "I was reacting to the ball and put it in play."
Misericordia (41-10) will play Lynchburg (37-16) in a game that is scheduled to be played at 4:45 PM today. The team that wins the second game of the day will advance to the D3 Championship Series to play the winner of the Salve Regina and UW-Whitewater game(s).
"We want to stay loose and focused," said Jones. We have to go back to our game and continue what we do. Thats our baseball."
"This time of the year this is what it is about," said Lynchburg head coach Travis Beazley. "Our challenge is regrouping. We were in the same position last year against Johns Hopkins. We had chances. They made some great plays, some great pitches. A couple plays go a little different and it is a different outcome."
- Photo gallery: Lynchburg vs. Misericordia to come
- D-III World Series: Preview | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
- NCAA playoff bracket
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- Lynchburg's title defense still alive
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| Jason Sanfilippo, who scored one of the three runs and made an impressive diving play on defense, lets out some enthusiasm as he records the final out of Misericordia's 3-2 win vs. Lynchburg. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com | More photos from this game coming at d3photography.com |
The game opened in a light fog that slowly lifted. This also describes the hitters as they too were seemingly in a fog. Both starters put goose eggs on the scoreboard in the early innings. Lynchburg’s Colin McGuire was perfect through the first trip through the Cougar lineup. Misericordia’s starter, relief pitcher Matt Lanzendorfer, stranded two batters as he negotiated his first pass through the Hornet’s starting nine.
With two outs in the third, Lanzendorfer got into trouble as the Hornets cashed in a leadoff walk and four consecutive hits for two runs to take the early 2-0 lead. Brenton Jones walked and Quinn Madden put runners on the corners with a single to left-center field. Sean Pokrorak’s single scored Jones as Madden moved to third. Eric Hiett’s second double of the day finished the scoring in the third.
"We made an adjustment, said Jones. "We figured out what he was trying to pitch. Overall we put together some at-bats."
McGuire also struggled as he moved through the Cougar lineup for the second time. Garrett McIlhenney doubled to open the fourth inning. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly netted Misericordia their first run. Connor Maryniak followed with a single but a ground ball to short ended the threat.
"Coach talks to us all the time about making adjustments," said McIlhenney. "As a team we try to see what adjustments to make. For us to come back a second time and be able to string things together it was nice as well."
Lanzdendorfer opened the fourth with a strikeout and was lifted in favor graduate student Tyler Leonard in his second longest outing of the season. Leonard allowed a single to Eddie Gimbel as he faced his first batter but stranded him at second.
"A complete effort," said Egbert. "Lanz started the game in a role he is not use to. Leonard pitched on short rest."
- D3baseball.com World Series Scoreboard
- D-III World Series Record Book
- D3baseball.com World Series Program
- d3photography.com D3WS photos (2009-present)
Through the middle innings each team had chances to add to their run totals but Lynchburg and Misericordia combined to strand three runners in the fifth and two in the sixth inning.
Lynchburg appeared to add to their lead in the seventh after getting a key double play at the top of the seventh. Jones reached for his third hit of the day. Jones beat the throw to second as Madden took first on a fielder’s choice. A fly ball to right allowed Jones to take third and he scored on the squeeze play. The throw hit Josh Gjormand, in for Hiett at first base, which allowed Gjormand to stay on first and Madden to make it to third. The ruling was reviewed and Gjorman was determined to have interfered with the throw.
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| Josh Gjormand is hit by the throw from Misericordia catcher Brock Bollinger. But he is inside the chalk, and that is interference, a call which was made after video review. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
He was called out, the runners returned to their bases and the run was taken off the board. A strikeout by the new pitcher, Joe Valenti ended the inning with Lynchburg holding a 2-1 lead.
Controversy also continued into the top of the eighth inning. Following a two-out Jack Regenye single and stolen base, Bollinger hit a ball to the middle of the defense. Regenye was coming home and the throw beat him but the Hornets catcher could not tag the runner before he was able to find home plate. Beazley challenged the call as Regenye appeared to be out of the baseline. The umpires disagreed and allowed the run to stand, making the score 2-2. This was the end for McGuire and he was replaced by Mason McDowell who only faced one batter before being lifted for Austin Riney.
"I as looking at coach and he was waving me," said Regenye. "Connor was giving me guidance on the slide and it worked out. I was confident I was safe."
"I thought he was out of the baseline," said Beazley. "They reviewed it. All you can ask in this setting that they have replay. They looked at it and it went against us."
A runner being out of the baseline is not reviewable under NCAA video guidelines, although a runner being out of the runner's lane on the way to first base is.
McIlhenney and Andrew Van Horn led the Cougars with two hits on the day. Bollinger accounted for two runs batted in. Jones led all batters with four hits with Hiett added three. Polack and Hiett had Lynchburg's two RBI.
Valenti (12-2) earned the win, pitching the final 2.2 innings of the game. He allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Austin Riney (3-2) took the loss. He pitched 1.1 innings with a run allowed on two hits. He struck out two batters. The starting pitchers did not factor in the decision. Lanzendorf pitched 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Colin McGuire pitched 7.2 innings. He gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out one batter.