WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Tony Cappelletty's ninth-inning single was the capstone to Albion College's 9-8 walk-off win over Wittenberg University at Chain Of Lakes Park Monday afternoon.
Trailing 7-2 after 5 ½ innings, Albion chipped away by scoring in each of the last four innings. Dan Mills produced a two-run double in the seventh and Brendan Diamond collected a two-run single in the eighth. Kyle Kowal clubbed a RBI single to tie the score at 8-8 in the ninth and Cappelletty followed with his game-winning hit.
"Our plate approach was really good (in the late innings)," Albion Coach Scott Carden said. "Our approach in the first inning was great – we were aggressive and making things happen. We tightened up when things started going the wrong direction defensively. Everybody started worrying about things they can't control. All of a sudden we realized we had to take one pitch at a time, one inning at a time."
Diamond, Mills, Michael Fischbach and Kowal finished with two hits apiece.
While the run production hogs the spotlight, the victory would not have been possible without the bullpen work from Bill Radatz and Nate Brubaker. Radatz worked a pair of scoreless innings and Brubaker, who collected his first win at the collegiate level, yielded a run on four hits over the final two innings.
Albion continues its Florida schedule at 1 o'clock Tuesday with a nine-inning game against the College of Mount Saint Joseph at Lake Myrtle Park. Bobby Lee, Albion's director of news & sports information, will be on hand for the play-by-play of the internet broadcast.