MARIETTA, Ohio — Kalamazoo's Ben Chosid wasn't thinking about being a hero. The senior shortstop just didn't want his baseball career to end.
 
Following a three-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth that tied the game at 7-7, Chosid delivered a clutch single to short center field that scored Cooper Mills as the Hornets defeated Mount Aloysius 8-7 in 10 innings at the NCAA Division III Baseball Regional at Marietta College's Don & Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park on Saturday afternoon.
 
"It's what you dream about," said Chosid, who went 3 for 5 with two RBI. "It quite possibly could have been my last at-bat of my career and you have a chance to do something incredible for the program and incredible for all the guys who came before you, and for the coaches who have made this program what it is. I was happy to be the one up there and make it happen, but it could have been anybody one through nine."
 
The victory is also Kalamazoo's first regional victory in program history.
 
"When you have 10 seniors who play a role, whether that's on the mound or at the plate, that veteran leadership is critical," said Kalamazoo coach Mike Ott. "We've been building it over the past couple of years and we got to show it on the biggest stage."
 
Chosid is proud to be part of the historic victory.
 
"It's special," he said. "It says a lot about the guys who came before us that put us in a position to be able to have such nice facilities, to be able to have everything we need to be able to get on this stage and it's great to be the team to finally do it."
 
Chosid said the Hornets' never-quit attitude was never more on display than the top of the ninth.
 
"Senior Alex Bowden came off the mound with two outs to give another senior an opportunity," Chosid said. "He was upset that people were giving him hugs like it was his last outing ever. There's just no quit in this team. We've been doing it the entire postseason. We had two walk-off wins in our first two games in the MIAA Tournament. It's not something we're unfamiliar with. I'd like to start taking leads a little bit earlier, but we're completely comfortable in any situation."
 
Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, though, it looked like Kalamazoo would be the first team to exit the regional in Marietta. After scoring a run in the top of the ninth, Mount Aloysius led 7-4. Reliever Seth Smith had not given up a hit since entering the game in the sixth inning got the first two outs and was facing Max Gordon.
 
With two strikes, Gordon slapped a single to center and the Kalamazoo rally was about to begin.
 
"The end of the bottom of the ninth we had five seniors come up and they didn't want their careers to end," Ott said. "I'm really proud of the group."
 
Senior first baseman Spencer Baldwin, Chosid's roommate, came through with the biggest hit of the inning when he singled through the left side scoring David Stechow and Cooper Mills.
 
"Being able to send it off as roommates was great," Baldwin said. "I think the big thing is no one tries to do too much. Our whole team is, 'Pass the bat.'"
 
Baldwin finished the game with three hits and a run.
 
"It wasn't the prettiest 3 for 5 I've ever had with two infield hits," Baldwin said. "But the top of the order has been very good and one through nine has been good all year."
 
While everyone wanted to talk about the two late-inning rallies, Ott was equally impressed with his bullpen that allowed six hits and two runs over the final six innings.
 
"We said last night that everybody was up," Ott said. "It can't be overstated how important (our bullpen) was today."
 
The Mounties (27-15) were definitely the hard-luck team of the Marietta regional. Coach Kevin Kime's squad lost both games in extra innings, suffering a 4-3 loss in 10 innings to Christopher Newport on Friday 4-3.
 
"Hard-fought game on both ends. It's not easy to get walked off twice in two games," Kime said. "You have to give Kalamazoo credit. They fought to the end. They were down to their last strike and found a way to keep extending the game."
 
Mount Aloysius starter Douglas Cannon scattered 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings and left the game leading 6-4.
 
"Obviously it has been a season to remember," Cannon said. "I've been here for five seasons and I love every last person that I've ever played with and I've loved every moment."
 
Offensively, the Mounties had four players — Tyler Suder, Jeremy Iellimo, Aidan Bell and Joshua Brown — record two hits Saturday. Bell had two doubles and one RBI.
 
Kalamazoo's top hitter, Blake Bean, had another big game with three hits and two runs, while Baldwin also went 3 for 5. Gordon and Mills each went 2 for 4.
 
"We got the wind knocked out of our sails yesterday and we talked about how it doesn't matter how you win," Ott said. "It doesn't need to be pretty. The biggest word we were talking about is resiliency. We were going to play 27 outs and through 26 we had lost and before the 27th we got it back."