| Webster's Cody Stevenson stole four bases in the
win against Christopher Newport. Webster file photo by Andrew Belsky |
Back in action after a 25-day layoff, No. 2-ranked Christopher Newport, the top seed in the South Regional, found itself the biggest upset victim of the first day. Zach Schneider threw a complete game five-hitter to get Webster off on the right foot, defeating the Captains 11-1.
Schneider retired the first 16 Christopher Newport batters in order and the Gorloks ran wild on the basepaths, stealing eight bases. Leadoff hitter Cody Stevenson swiped four for Webster on a day in which he went 3-for-4 with four runs scored.
The top seeds in the Mid-Atlantic, New England, Central and West also lost in first-day action. Catholic won its first-ever Division III baseball playoff game and the Cardinals' first playoff game since the 1977 Division I regionals by knocking off Kean 3-2. Catholic scored twice in the top of the eighth, with the go-ahead run coming around on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. The Cardinals won despite committing four errors.
More Regionals day one coverage: Scoreboard | Case backup
hits PH slam | Arms rule Midwest
Linfield took an early defeat, as Concordia (Texas) knocked off the No. 5-ranked Wildcats 4-2. Ryan Ullman threw four innings of one-hit relief for the Tornados to get a key save while catcher Colin Janssen went 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored in the win. Ian Williams drove in three runs, including a two-run homer in the third inning to help give Bridgewater State a 4-0 win and an upset of New England top-seeded Tufts. Corey Batista threw a complete-game six-hitter for the Bears. And Central No. 1 seed Coe fell 3-2 to Ripon.
In other early games Misericordia defeated Messiah 3-1 and Rhode Island College continued its postseason success with a 12-2 win over MIT. Eastern Connecticut got a two-run single from Shane Kingsley in the eighth innings for the only runs the Warriors needed in support of Jim Schult's shutout of Brockport State in the New York Regional.
Rain pushed the last game of the Mid-Atlantic Regional into Thursday, as Randolph-Macon and Rowan will instead start Day 2 off with their first-round game at 9 a.m.