The Misericordia University baseball team opened the 2024 NCAA D-III World Series with a 6-3 win over Ponoma-Pitzer, Friday in Eastlake, OH.
The Cougars improved to 39-9 and advanced to the winner's bracket final of Bracket 1 against the winner of top-seeded Endicott and defending national champion Lynchburg, Saturday at 1:15.
Joe Valenti worked six innings to tie the school single-season record with his 11th win and Matt Lanzendorfer struck out four over three innings to tie the school record with his eighth save of the season.
With the potential tying-run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Lanzendorfer induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Brock Bollinger had three hits, two RBI and scored a run and Jason Sanfilippo had two hits and an RBI. Garrett McIlhenney had a hit, an RBI, a run scored and was plunked twice.
After the Sagehens took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to go back in front for good.
With one out in the sixth, Joe Comins and Jared Hoffman drew back-to-back walks and Sanfilippo fisted a single to right center to drive in the tying run. Behind in the count 1-2, Brooks Kanwisher was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Following a pitching change and a strikeout, McIlhenney took a 1-2 pitch in the middle of the back to force in the go-ahead run.
MU added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. McIlhenney looped a one-out single to right, but was erased on a fielder's choice. Jack Regenye stole second and Bollinger singled past a diving shortstop to give the Cougars a 5-3 lead. Bollinger raced to third when an errant pick-off throw rolled down the right field line and Maryniak slid to avoid the tag on a wild throw to first base to stretch the lead to 6-3.
Misericordia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and tacked on a run in the fourth. McIlhenney reached via hit by pitch to open the game and stole second on a review challenge by head coach Pete Egbert. One out later, Bollinger doubled down the left field line for an early 1-0 lead.
Sanfilippo singled through the left side with two outs in the fourth and came all the way around on Kanwisher's double to left center to make it 2-0.
Pomona-Pitzer plated three runs on four hits to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth.