By Danny Gibel
Special to D3sports.com
EASTLAKE, Ohio — After three games and nearly 11 hours of baseball, Randolph-Macon and UW-Whitewater finally had their chance to take the diamond at Classic Park.
There were no signs of weariness as the Yellow Jackets and the Warhawks swung some hot bats in the early innings.
Cade Berendt took the mound for the Warhawks and set down the first two hitters without an issue. Berendt ran into a problem after allowing the next three batters to reach base. Matt Myers capitalized on the two-out opportunity and slugged a three-run double to the wall in right-center field. This was Myers’ third time in a bases-loaded situation in postseason play, and while he failed to deliver in the first two situations, he certainly did tonight.
- D-III World Series: Preview
- One last chance for Birmingham-Southern
- Lynchburg's title defense still alive
“A game goal for us is to score first and obviously when we put up three rounds in the first inning, you know, that's kind of setting the tone for us,” said Myers. “I think scoring early is very important for our team and you know, it just sets the tone.”
|
| Matt Scolan and Alex Najera celebrate after Scolan's homer put UW-Whitewater up 11-3 in the sixth inning. Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com |
Even after going down 3-0 before even having a chance to bat, there were no signs of panic from the Warhawks.
“We've been in a lot of games this year,” said head coach John Vodenlich. “And our team's not going to give up in the first inning. As a matter of fact, I don't think they'll ever give out. So, I don't think we're overly concerned.”
That was all the trouble that Berendt had with the Yellow Jackets. The senior southpaw settled in and pitched six more shutout innings. His night ended with six strikeouts and three walks.
- D3baseball.com World Series Scoreboard
- D-III World Series Record Book
- D3baseball.com World Series Program
“I just had to get a feel for my pitches,” said Berendt. “I couldn't throw anything said fastball for the strike in the first so they're just sitting on that. But after that, I found my slider, found my changeup, and then started to cruise.”
The Yellow Jackets’ lead was short-lived as the Warhawks struck back with a three-run inning of their own. Bere Bauers gave out free passes to three of the first four hitters he faced which even the common fan can recognize as a recipe for disaster.
Bauers nearly navigated his way out of danger by forcing Danny Hopper to fly out to center. The costly mistake of the inning was far from Bauers’ fault as Zach Wernoski sailed the ball up the first base line when trying to throw out Andy Theis. All three runners on base came around to score and tied the game at three runs apiece. It was not the prettiest way to drive in three runs, but it got the job done.
“That’s kind of been our approach this year,” said Thies. “Put the ball in play and good things happen. And as you saw, that's what I did.”
It was not until the bottom of the second when the Warhawks showcased the true offensive capabilities of their lineup. Bauers loaded the bases once again, and a pair of RBI singles by All-American Matt Scolan and Adam Cootway resulted in a 6-3 lead.
Then, Danny Hopper put the finishing touches on a six-run second inning with a shot to left-center field, that only after being reviewed, was ruled a home run.
As quickly as the bats heated up in the nightcap contest, they cooled down just as fast. After the six-run second inning, the Warhawks only scored two runs over the rest of the game. Although one of them runs was an opposite-field blast off the bat of Scolan in the sixth inning. This Warhawk home run did not need any reviewing to confirm that it carried over the fence.
“From the third inning on, we threw strikes, we got swings, and we limited their ability to do things offensively, they scored two runs from the third inning through the eighth inning,” said head coach Ray Hedrick. “So that makes me feel good because that is a really good offense, probably one of the best in the country and to be able to execute from the third inning on that builds us up for tomorrow.”
When asked about what kinds of pitches he saw at the plate tonight, Scolan said, “All fastballs. And I like to hit fastballs.”
Scolan must have been telling the truth because he went three-for-three with four RBIs.
Scolan’s home run was the final run scored in the game as Berendt and the Yellow Jackets bullpen continued to throw up zeros on the scoreboard.
It was more of the same from Max Huseboe, who relieved Berendt in the eighth and ninth innings. He struck out four and only gave up one hit.
The Warhawks will have to put their 11-3 victory in the rearview mirror because a very motivated Salve Regina program awaits them tomorrow. The first pitch is scheduled tentatively for 8 p.m.
“Our focus has been on how we play, not who we play. That doesn't change tomorrow,” preached Vodenlich.” We got to throw strikes, we got to play catch, we have to have quality at-bats. We have to play defense. It doesn't matter who we play. We got to play our game.”
The Yellow Jackets have a chance to rebound as they will take on Birmingham-Southern in a win-or-go-home game slated for 4:45 pm.