APPLETON, Wis. – Wheaton College of Massachusetts scored eight early runs and added four late in the game to defeat St. Thomas 13-9 Monday night in the winners bracket of the NCAA Division III College World Series.
St. Thomas, which saw an early 4-1 lead slip aay, slugged 17 hits but left the bases loaded twice and had 11 runners left on base. They allowed three runs on wild pitches or passed balls and gave up 16 hits to Wheaton on the game that lasted more than 3:15 on the clock and had appearances by 10 pitchers.
The loss, the first for the Tommies (40-9) in the tournament, means they will need to win three games over the next two days to capture their third national title. They will face SUNY-Cortland at noon Tuesday in an elimination game, and if they win they will advance to a Wednesday game against Wheaton or Marietta.
St. Thomas gave starting pitcher Bryce Gapinski, 9-0 coming into the game, leads of 3-0 in the first inning and 5-3 going in the third, when Wheaton knocked him out. The Lyons scored five runs off Gapinski and reliever Josh Kubitschek for an 8-5 lead and never relinquished it even though St. Thomas twice came within a run at 8-7 and 9-8.
The Tommies jumped on Wheaton starter Nolan Corr in the first for three runs on five hits and three Lyon errors. Tim Kuzniar singled and scored on a double by Dylan Thomas, who came in on a Charles Bruchu single to right. Bruchu made it 3-0 after two Wheaton errors sandwiched a Nick Reichert single.
Wheaton narrowed the gap to 3-1 in the bottom of the first on a triple and a passed ball, but the Tommies got the run back in the second when Bruchu doubled in a singling Kuzniar. The extra base hit chased Corr, who was relieved by Corey Laliberte
An error on a grounder and Dan Gusovsky's first home run of the season brought Wheaton to within 4-3 in the second, but the Tommies got back one run in the third when J.D. Dorgan doubled into the right corner and Dan Reichert singled him home.
Wheaton went ahead 8-5 in the third when it batted around to score five runs on six hits and two St. Thomas errors. Two singles, another two-run home run and two more singles forced Coach Chris Olean to pull Gapinski, and Kubitschek gave up a two-run single before.
After putting up goose eggs in the fourth and fifth innings, St. Thomas came alive in the sixth. Justin Novak had a lead-off walk and Jack Hogan drove him in with a triple to left center. Kuzniar followed with an RBI sacrifice fly.
The Lyons increased their lead to 9-7 in the sixth and St. Thomas closed to 9-8 in the eighth when Bruchu singled in Hogan. But Wheaton put the game away in its half of the inning with four runs and batted through the order again. The Lyons had only three hits in the inning and Tommie pitchers hit two batters, walked one and threw three wild pitches.
St. Thomas loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth but could score only one run, when Hogan's one-out single drove in Dorgan. Kuzniar and Thomas came to the plate as the tying run, but Kuzniar struck out and Thomas grounded out to third.