2013 NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament Recaps
GAME #11 – Linfield Punches Ticket to NCAA Division III College World Series With 3-1 Win Over Trinity
Austin, Texas – Chris Haddeland pitched more than five scoreless innings on the mound in leading Linfield to a 3-1 victory over Trinity in the final game of the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament. With the victory, the Wildcats punched their ticket to the College World Series.
After earning a 3-2 triumph earlier in the day to force an extra game, Trinity started the scoring in the finale on a home run to left by Pat Hirschberg in the top of the second. Linfield then answered in the bottom half of the same frame when Jordan Harlow grounded out to second base with two runners in scoring position, sending Kramer Lindell home for the equalizer.
Following three scoreless innings, the Wildcats added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away and produce the final outcome. After Corey VanDomelen and Nick Fisher hit consecutive singles, Jake Wylie blasted a shot to left to plate VanDomelen for the eventual winning run. Fisher then scored the insurance tally on a single to center by Clayton Truex.
Haddeland earned the victory for Linfield to improve his record to 13-1 this season. He allowed five hits and fanned three over 5.2 shutout frames. The sophomore from McMinnville, Oregon was also named the NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player after hurling 16 scoreless innings over three appearances and one start during the four-day tournament. In addition, Haddeland recorded 12 strikeouts and did not issue a walk while holding his opponents to a .132 batting average.
Trinity’s Franklin Bay was tagged with the loss and ended the spring with a 1-1 ledger. He surrendered three hits and two runs, which were both earned, in 2.2 innings of relief.
Linfield will compete in the 2013 College World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin beginning on May 24. Trinity ended its 2013 campaign with a 40-9 record.
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#5 Trinity (40-9) 010 000 000 1 7 0
#1 Linfield (38-7) 010 002 00x 3 9 1
Trinity: Tanner Barron, Franklin Bay (3), Zack Speer (6), Theodore Turner (7) and Kelly Woodruff.
Linfield: Justin Huckins, Chris Haddeland (4) and Kyle Chamberlain.
GAME #10 – Trinity Defeats Linfield, 3-2, to Force an Extra Game at NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Kelly Woodruff went 2-for-4 and scored the deciding run on a sacrifice fly to help lead Trinity to a 3-2 victory over Linfield and force an extra game in the championship round of the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Saturday, May 18 at Tornado Field.
After five scoreless innings, Trinity got on the scoreboard first by getting an RBI single from Pat Hirschberg in the top of the sixth. Linfield plated the equalizer in the bottom half of the same frame, but the Tigers were able to take the lead again in the seventh. A wild pitch with the bases allowed the go-ahead run to score, and Kevin Francke hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Trinity to double its lead.
Linfield attempted to rally and made it a 3-2 game when Tim Wilson hit an inside-the-park homer in the eighth inning. Hirschberg appeared to initially make the catch in center on the play, but the ball popped out of his glove after he ran into the wall which allowed Wilson to come all the way home. The Wildcats threatened once again in the bottom of the ninth by placing runners at first and second with two outs, but reliever Michael Bentz caught Kenny Johnson looking to end the game.
Troy Ward earned the win for Trinity and moved ahead to 1-1. He registered one strikeout and allowed one run that was earned as well as two hits in two innings of relief. Bentz picked up his fourth save by throwing 1.2 scoreless frames. Linfield’s Joseph Stevick suffered the loss and dropped to 1-1 after giving up five hits and three runs, which were all earned, over 6.1 frames.
Trinity and Linfield will face off again at 3:15 p.m. with a ticket to the College World Series on the line.
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#5 Trinity (40-8) 000 001 200 3 7 1
#1 Linfield (37-7) 000 001 010 2 7 2
Trinity: Ryan Gray, Troy Ward (6), Michael Bentz (8) and Kelly Woodruff.
Linfield: Joseph Stevick, Garett Speyer (7) and Kruze Mingus, Kyle Chamberlain (7).
GAME #9 - Trinity Advances to Championship Round of NCAA West Regional With 3-1 Win Over Texas-Tyler
Austin, Texas – Kyle Bogese pitched a complete game to lead Trinity to a 3-1 win over Texas-Tyler in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Friday, May 17 at Tornado Field. With the victory, the Tigers advanced to tomorrow’s championship round and will face Linfield for the right to advance to the College World Series.
Texas-Tyler scored the game’s first run despite having to play on short rest. Sam Lane belted a leadoff single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an Isaac Tijerina hit to the left side.
Trinity, however, kept the Patriots off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Kevin Francke hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game in the third and singled home Kevin Clements for the go-ahead run in the fifth. Christian Muscarello then drove in Jeremy Wolf for insurance to produce the final score.
Bogese, who threw 132 pitches and 83 strikes for Trinity, improved his record to a perfect 3-0. He fanned eight and issued three walks while giving up six hits and one run that was earned. Matt Sheppard suffered the loss for Texas-Tyler and ended the spring with a 2-2 ledger. He surrendered five hits and three runs, which were all earned, over four innings of work.
Texas-Tyler was eliminated with the loss and ended its season with a 37-12 ledger. Trinity will face Linfield tomorrow in the championship round beginning at noon. The Tigers will need to beat the top-seeded Wildcats twice, while Linfield will need to win only one game to claim the regional crown.
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Texas-Tyler (37-12) 100 000 000 1 6 0
Trinity (39-8) 001 020 000 3 8 0
Texas-Tyler: Matt Sheppard, Jake Beam (5), Derek Miller (8) and Cayden Cunniff.
Trinity: Kyle Bogese and Chris Bianchi.
GAME #8 – Texas-Tyler Rallies Past California Lutheran in Game Eight of NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Sam Lane went 2-for-4 and provided a clutch single in the fourth inning as Texas-Tyler rallied to defeat California Lutheran by a 3-2 score in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Friday, May 17 at Tornado Field.
Both teams scored two runs in the first inning. Nick Boggan hit an RBI double and scored one play later courtesy of a single by Ramsey Abushahla to give California Lutheran a 2-0 advantage that would not last long.
After Scott Peters induced consecutive groundouts, the Patriots strung together three consecutive hits to tie the score at 2-all. T.J. Martin and Kevan House each drove in a run during the frame before Lane would give the Patriots the lead by doubling down the line in right three innings later.
California Lutheran had its best chance to at least score the equalizer in the top of the seventh. After Trevor Koons singled, Boggan blooped a ball that got past the diving Patriot center fielder and started rolling slowly towards the wall. Koons, however, missed second base and had to come all the way back to touch the bag. He was eventually able to make it safely to third and Boggan stopped at second, but it potentially cost the Kingsmen a run that would have tied the game. The Patriots then hung on to survive and advance by eventually ending the game with a double play.
Joshua Holley picked up the victory for Texas-Tyler and moved his record ahead to 2-0 this season. He pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief and allowed only three hits. Derek Miller earned his 16th save by hurling a scoreless ninth. California Lutheran’s Scott Peters was tagged with the loss and ended the 2013 campaign with an 8-1 ledger after yielding 11 hits and three runs, which were all earned, in six frames of work.
Texas-Tyler, which has come from behind to win both of its games at the tournament, stayed alive and will face Trinity tonight at 7 p.m. for the right to play top-seeded Linfield in the championship round tomorrow. California Lutheran was eliminated and ended its season with a 35-9-1 record.
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California Lutheran (35-9-1) 200 000 000 2 11 2
Texas-Tyler (37-11) 200 100 00x 3 12 0
California Lutheran: Scott Peters, Aaron Roth (7) and Spencer DuBois.
Texas-Tyler: Tye Weber, Joshua Holley (3), Justin Sheets (7), Matt Sheppard (8), Derek Miller (9) and Cayden Cunniff.
GAME #7 – Linfield Outlasts Trinity, 4-3, to Advance to Championship Round of NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Nick Fisher blasted his second home run of the tournament and drove in three runs to help propel Linfield to a 4-3 victory over Trinity in the seventh game of the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Friday, May 17 at Tornado Field.
For the third straight outing, Linfield was able to get on the scoreboard in the first inning. Fisher rocketed a three-run homer over the fence in left to give the Wildcats a 3-0 advantage before the first out could be recorded, which also allowed Tim Wilson and Corey VanDomelen to score on the play. The Wildcats added one more run when Michael Hopp drew a bases-loaded walk that plated Clayton Truex later in the frame.
Trinity, however, stormed back over the course of the game and slashed the deficit to as little as one. The Tigers were able to score one run in the top of the second on the third error of the game by a Linfield infielder and then got a two-run single from Kevin Clements that made it 4-3 in the sixth. Trinity had the tying run 90 feet away at third in the top of the eighth, but reliever Chris Haddeland induced a flyout to end the threat before retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Zach Brandon of Linfield earned the win on the mound and improved to 8-2 on the year. He gave up five hits and three runs, including two earned, while striking out five and walking one over 5.1 frames. Haddeland earned his first save by retiring all four batters he faced. Trinity’s Andrew Alig, who was chased out of the game after recording just one out, suffered the loss and fell to 4-2 after surrendering three hits and four runs that were all earned. He also issued two walks.
Linfield advances to tomorrow’s championship round, which begins at noon, while Trinity will play in an elimination game tonight at 7 p.m. against the loser of the 3:30 p.m. game between Texas-Tyler and California Lutheran.
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#5 Trinity (38-8) 010 002 000 3 5 1
#1 Linfield (37-6) 400 000 00x 4 7 4
Trinity: Andrew Alig, Michael Walker (1) and Kelly Woodruff.
Linfield: Zach Brandon, Justin Huckins (6), Chris Haddeland (8) and Kyle Chamberlain.
GAME #6 – Trinity Holds Off Texas-Tyler to Conclude Second Day of Action at NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Zack Speer went the distance on the mound by throwing 152 pitches and Pat Hirschberg went yard to lead fifth-seeded Trinity to a 4-2 victory over third-seeded Texas-Tyler in the sixth game of the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Thursday, May 16 at Tornado Field.
Jeff Kosta gave Texas-Tyler an early advantage by hitting a solo shot to right in the top of the first, but Hirschberg answered back with a homer of his own to tie the score at 1-all. The Tigers carried that momentum into the fifth inning, scoring twice courtesy of a two-run double down the line in left by Jonathan Hall that made it a 3-1 game.
After Trinity added an insurance run in the eighth, Texas-Tyler attempted to stage a rally in the top of the ninth. Kevan House got things going with a one-out single and came home on a triple by T.J. Martin. Speer, however, settled down and retired the next two batters to end the game.
By tossing his first complete game of the season, Speer improved to a perfect 9-0 on the year by earning the win. He gave up seven hits and two runs, which were both earned, and registered eight strikeouts against only one free pass to first. Texas-Tyler’s Jack Barkley took the loss and fell to 7-4 after yielding six hits and three runs, which were all earned, while striking out one and walking one over 4.2 innings of work.
Trinity will face Linfield in a battle of unbeatens tomorrow at noon, while Texas-Tyler stays alive and plays against California Lutheran in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m.
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#3 Texas-Tyler (36-11) 100 000 001 2 7 1
#5 Trinity (38-7) 000 120 01x 4 8 0
Texas-Tyler: Jack Barkley, Jake Beam (5) and Cayden Cunniff.
Trinity: Zack Speer and Chris Bianchi.
GAME #5 – Linfield Defeats Pomona-Pitzer, 8-3, to Eliminate Sagehens at NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Michael Hopp and Tim Wilson each drove in a pair of runs to propel top-seeded Linfield to an 8-3 victory over fourth-seeded Pomona-Pitzer in the fifth game of the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Thursday, May 16 at Tornado Field.
For the second straight outing, Linfield scored in the first inning to go ahead early and never looked back. Corey VanDomelen and Kramer Lindell each recorded RBI singles in the frame to give the Wildcats a 2-0 cushion to work with.
Pomona-Pitzer sliced the lead in half when E.J. Lopez homered down the line in left in the bottom of the second, but the Wildcats quickly shook it off and pulled away by scoring four times in the top of the third inning. After Hopp drove in two runs by sending the ball through the right side, Wilson closed out the scoring in the frame by hitting a bunt single that plated Kyle Chamberlain. The Sagehens came no closer than four runs the rest of the way.
Aaron Thomassen picked up the victory for Linfield and improved to 11-1 overall this season after giving up seven hits and three runs, including two earned, while fanning seven and walking four. Pomona-Pitzer’s Collin Majev was tagged with the loss and ended the 2013 campaign with a 3-1 ledger.
Linfield will advance to play the winner of tonight’s game between Texas-Tyler and Trinity tomorrow afternoon at noon. Pomona-Pitzer, which was eliminated with the loss, ended its season with a 29-16 record.
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#1 Linfield (36-6) 204 100 100 8 10 1
#4 Pomona-Pitzer (29-16) 011 010 000 3 8 3
Linfield: Aaron Thomassen, Garrett Miller (8) and Kyle Chamberlain.
Pomona-Pitzer: Collin Majev, Drew Helgren (5), Robert Meller (7) and Travis Bowers.
GAME #4 – California Lutheran Holds Off Texas Lutheran, 4-3, in NCAA West Regional Elimination Game
Austin, Texas – Jake Peterson drove in two runs and Kevin Leonard hit a sacrifice fly that plated the eventual game-winning run to lead second-seeded California Lutheran past Texas Lutheran by a 4-3 score in an NCAA West Regional elimination game on Thursday, May 16 at Tornado Field.
California Lutheran was able to manufacture two runs on one hit to take an early lead in the top of the second. Batting with two runners in scoring position, Jake Petersen blooped a single to left center that plated Ramsey Abushahla and Kevin Leonard. One frame later, Nick Boggan hit a solo shot over the fence in right to make it 3-0.
After the Kingsmen added a fourth run in the top of the fifth, Texas Lutheran was able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame. Klaus Bohrmann broke up Tyler Hebda’s quest for a perfect game by rocketing a leadoff double to the power alley in right center and was thrown out at third on a fielder’s choice. Derek Kanas, who reached first on the previous play, then stole second and came home on a Ryan Hill single to right center. Hebda, however, got out of further trouble by fielding a grounder cleanly and throwing out Tony Gennusa at first.
Texas Lutheran continued to chip away at the deficit and was able to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth on a single through the left side by Bohrmann. Kanas then followed with a two-run single, making it a 4-3 game at the time, and advanced to second on a fielding error in the outfield. But with two runners in scoring position, Ryan Hill popped out to first base and the comeback effort would come up short.
Hebda of California Lutheran picked up the victory and improved to 9-3 after yielding five hits and one run, which was earned, while registering two strikeouts and issuing one walk over 6.2 frames. Aaron Roth earned his 12th save of the year despite giving up four hits and two runs, which were both earned, in 2.1 innings of relief. Texas Lutheran’s Aaron Aleman suffered the loss and ended the spring with a 9-6 ledger. He surrendered three hits and three runs, which were all earned, in 2.2 innings of work.
California Lutheran stayed alive and will play an opponent to be determined tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Texas Lutheran was eliminated with the loss and ended its season with a 33-14 record.
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#2 California Lutheran (35-8-1) 021 010 000 4 7 1
#6 Texas Lutheran (33-14) 000 000 020 3 9 1
California Lutheran: Tyler Hebda, Aaron Roth (7) and Spencer DuBois.
Texas Lutheran: Aaron Aleman, Dwayne Snider (3), Thomas Harwell (5), Sean Kistler (8) and Ryan Hill.
GAME #3 – Texas-Tyler Defeats Pomona-Pitzer in 11 Innings to Close Out First Day of Action at NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Jeff Kosta went 3-for-4 and scored on a passed ball to lift Texas-Tyler to a 4-3 win in 11 innings over Pomona-Pitzer to close out the first day of action at the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament on Wednesday, May 15 at Tornado Field.
Pomona-Pitzer wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Mike Moyer was issued a leadoff walk and stole second. Jake Bruml then blasted a two-run homer that easily made it over the fence in left to give his team a 2-0 advantage.
The Sagehens added another tally on an RBI single by Mike Moyer in the top of the fourth, but the Patriots did not go down without a fight and staged a rally beginning in the bottom half of the same frame. Isaac Tijerina, who walked and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, came across to score on a single up the middle by Kevan House.
Texas-Tyler, which placed their leadoff hitter on base in seven of the opening nine frames, continued to battle back and tied the game in the seventh. After failing to score with runners at second and third with one down in the sixth, the Patriots placed another two runners in scoring position when Guy Stevens was charged with a balk in the seventh. Jeff Kosta then came through with a two-run single through the left side to knot the game at 3-all. The Patriot second baseman attempted to score the go-ahead run on the next play, but he was gunned down at home by right fielder Kevin Brice for the third out and eventually help force extra innings.
After three straight innings of scoreless baseball, Texas-Tyler finally broke through for the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th. With the bases loaded and cleanup hitter Isaac Tijerina at the plate, Stuart Gano delivered a pitch that went through the catcher’s legs and behind him. Kosta was able to score from third on the passed ball.
Matt Shepperd of Texas-Tyler got the victory and improved his record to 2-1. He allowed one hit while throwing three scoreless innings of relief and also registered one strikeout. Gano suffered the loss for Pomona-Pitzer and dropped to 5-3 on the year despite not allowing a hit. He yielded one run in 1.2 innings of work.
Texas-Tyler plays Trinity at 7 p.m. tomorrow evening, while Pomona-Pitzer faces Linfield tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
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#4 Pomona-Pitzer (29-15) 200 100 000 00 3 9 0
#3 Texas-Tyler (36-10) 000 100 200 01 4 10 2
Pomona-Pitzer: Jake Brumi, Guy Stevens (7), Stuart Gano (10) and Jackson Badger.
Texas-Tyler: Chance Cotton, Justin Sheets (7), Matt Sheppard (9) and Cayden Cunniff.
GAME #2 – Trinity Outlasts California Lutheran, 1-0, at NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Ryan Lucero threw his third shutout of the season to help propel fifth-seeded Trinity to a 1-0 victory over second-seeded California Lutheran in the opening game of the NCAA Division III West Regional Baseball Tournament for both schools on Wednesday, May 15 at Tornado Field.
The game started as a pitcher’s duel between Trinity’s Ryan Lucero and Cal Lutheran’s Jake Petersen until the Tigers scored the game’s only run by taking advantage of two Kingsmen miscues on the same play. Kelly Woodruff hit what appeared to be a routine double down the line in left, but the ball slipped out of the fingers of left fielder Nick DeLorenzo when he was attempting to throw it back to the infield. Another error by the Kingsman shortstop allowed Woodruff to come all the way home to give the Tigers a 1-0 edge that they held the rest of the way.
Lucero of Trinity went the distance and earned the win to improve to 10-1 after striking out seven, yielding Jake Petersen suffered the loss for California Lutheran and fell to 7-2 this season. He surrendered seven hits and one run, which was unearned, over 8.1 innings of work.
Trinity will play the winner of tonight’s matchup between Pomona-Pitzer and Texas-Tyler tomorrow evening at 7. California Lutheran will face Texas Lutheran in an elimination game tomorrow at noon.
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#5 Trinity (37-7) 000 000 100 1 7 1
#2 Cal Lutheran (34-8-1 ) 000 000 000 0 6 3
Trinity: Ryan Lucero and Kelly Woodruff.
Cal Lutheran: Jake Petersen, Aaron Roth (9) and Spencer DuBois.
GAME #1 - Linfield Blanks Texas Lutheran, 2-0, in First Game of NCAA West Regional
Austin, Texas – Chris Haddeland hurled a two-hit shutout in leading top-seeded Linfield to a 2-0 victory over sixth-seeded Texas Lutheran in the opening game for both teams at the NCAA West Regional Tournament on Wednesday, May 15 at Tornado Field.
Linfield jumped on the board quickly in the bottom of the first by getting an RBI single through the left side from Jeff Wylie that scored Tim Wilson. One frame later, the Wildcats got an insurance tally when Jordan Harlow doubled to left center to plate Nick Fisher, who hit a two-bagger to start the inning. Haddeland stayed in control on the mound the rest of the way.
Haddeland, who retired the last 14 Bulldog batters he faced, earned the victory for Linfield and improved his record to 12-1. He recorded nine strikeouts and did not issue a walk. Texas Lutheran’s Jeff Spillane suffered the loss and dropped to 9-3 after yielding seven hits and two runs, which were both earned, while striking out five and issuing three walks.
Linfield will face the loser of tonight’s game between #3 Texas-Tyler and #4 Pomona-Pitzer tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Texas Lutheran will play the loser of this afternoon’s contest between #2 California Lutheran and #5 Trinity in an elimination game at noon.
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#6 Texas Lutheran (33-13) 000 000 000 0 2 0
#1 Linfield (35-6) 110 000 00x 2 7 0
Texas Lutheran: Jeff Spillane and Ryan Hill.
Linfield: Chris Haddeland and Kyle Chamberlain.
