Game 10 - May 28, 1990
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Battle Creek, Michigan - The title clinching game of the 1990 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship turned out to be a mere formality for Eastern Conn State. The Warriors made the first three rounds of the four-day tournament look almost too easy, winning each game by no less than three runs. The game that wrapped up the double-elimination for the Warriors was no different. Eastern Conn State rode the strength of Chris Kebalka's arm and the bat of tournament MVP Brian Mercado to an 8-1 victory over Aurora at C.O. Brown Stadium on Monday.
"Its going to take a while to sink in," Mercado said. "But I'm going to be walking on cloud nine all summer." Mercado hit his Championship record fourth home run, a two-run shot in the third inning, to give Kebalka all the runs he would need. Kebalka pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and one run while striking out six and walking four.
Eastern Conn State was the favorite heading into this weekend and that bothered Coach Bill Holowaty. "I thought we could do it this year," Holowaty said. "But (being the favorite) makes it a tough situation. I've been here before, and you can't assume. I just had to make the right decisions and let the horses run."
One of the right decisions was starting Kebalka, who has been hampered all year by a sore shoulder and elbow. "I took some pain killers in the shoulder," Kubalka said. But when you get the chance, you've got to do it." Kebalka had little trouble, allowing one hit in the first four innings. "He (Mercado) said "just pitch and I'll get you a homer," Kebalka said. "I figured if I could get one run, I would be happy."
As the game went on, the Aurora players grew weary. Each of the past two nights, the Spartans played into the early morning hours. "It wears on you." Aurora all-tournament outfielder Bob Guarardo said. "When you have to come back the way we did, it drains on you." Aurora rallied to beat NC Wesleyan 8-7 in a game that did not finish until after 2am Sunday morning. The Spartans then held off NC Wesleyan 12-9 in a game that ended at 1:30 am this morning to reach the championship round.
Eastern Conn State also drained the Aurora pitching staff Monday. The Warriors chased loser Scott LeVault after 2.2 innings. With Aurora's Russ Voelz pitching in the fifth, Eastern added a run on Jeff Handler's sacrifice fly. In the sixth, Eastern scored three times off Bob Stacey and Jason Whitmyer to take a 6-0 lead and put the game out of reach.
Aurora managed a run in the seventh off Dave Cave's pinch hit single to make the score 7-1. Eastern finished the scoring with a solo home run by Denis Kelly in the ninth.
Despite being the tournament MVP, Mercado was quick to spread the credit around. "I'm playing with the best," he said. "We are stacked. This is as good as it gets." Mercado added that it may even get better for Eastern. Only a sophomore, he plans even better things for next year. "I think I can get better. I know I can improve."
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Eastern Conn State 8 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Bastilio Ortiz cf......... 4 1 3 1 0 0 2 0 Jeff Handler ss........... 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 Pete Daniels 3b........... 5 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 Brian Mercado dh.......... 4 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 Denis Kelly rf............ 5 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 Paul Matachun 2b.......... 5 1 3 0 0 0 8 5 PJ McCabe lf.............. 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ken Valliere 1b........... 4 1 1 0 1 0 9 0 Lou Lanni c............... 2 1 0 0 2 0 6 1 Chris Kebalka p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals.................... 38 8 12 5 3 4 27 14 Aurora 1 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Jon Puklin 2b............. 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 5 Mike Bachio rf............ 1 0 0 0 3 1 2 0 Bob Guajardo lf........... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Mike Foote dh............. 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Mike Soldat c............. 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 Phil Jass ph.............. 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Frank Markett 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 10 0 Jim Skelton ph............ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Jensen 3b........... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 4 Ted Rossow ph............. 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tom King cf............... 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Dave Cave ph/cf........... 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 Tony Carrozza ss.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 Scott LeVault p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Russ Voelz p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bob Stacey p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jason Wittenmyer p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Steve Michalson p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals.................... 29 1 4 1 5 6 27 12 Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Eastern Conn State 002 013 101 - 8 12 2 Aurora 000 000 100 - 1 4 4 ---------------------------------------------- E - McCabe; Kebalka; Puklin; Soldat 2; Markett. DP - Eastern Conn 2; Aurora 1. LOB - Eastern Conn 9; Aurora 6. 2B - Foote. HR - Mercado; D Kelly. SB - Ortiz 2; Daniels 2. CS - M Bachio. SF - Ortiz; Handler. Eastern Conn State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Chris Kebalka....... 9.0 4 1 0 5 6 29 34 Aurora IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Scott LeVault....... 2.2 5 2 2 0 0 12 13 Russ Voelz.......... 1.2 1 1 1 1 0 5 7 Bob Stacey.......... 1.0 2 2 2 0 1 5 5 Jason Wittenmyer.... 0.0 0 1 1 2 0 0 2 Steve Michalson..... 3.2 4 2 1 0 3 16 17 Win - Kebalka. Loss - LeVault. Save - None. WP - Voelz; Wittenmyer 2. BK - Wittenmyer. HBP - by LeVault (Mercado). Umpires - Start: Time: 2:49 Attendance: 500 Wittenmyer faced 2 batters in the 6th.
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Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Eastern Conn State 002 013 101 - 8 12 2 Aurora 000 000 100 - 1 4 4 ---------------------------------------------- Eastern Conn State inning 1 Ortiz grounded out to 2b. Handler grounded out to 3b. Daniels singled. Daniels stole second, advanced to third on an error by c. Mercado hit by pitch. D Kelly reached on a fielder's choice; Mercado out at second 3b to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB. Aurora inning 1 Puklin struck out looking. M Bachio walked. M Bachio out at second c to 2b, caught stealing. Guajardo struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 2 Matachun singled. McCabe grounded out to 2b; Matachun advanced to second. Valliere singled; Matachun advanced to third. Lanni grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; Valliere out on the play. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 2 Foote doubled. Soldat grounded out to 2b. Markett lined out to 2b. B Jensen grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 3 Ortiz singled. Ortiz stole second. Handler grounded out to ss. Daniels grounded out to 2b; Ortiz advanced to third. Mercado homered, 2 RBI; Ortiz scored. Voelz to p for LeVault. D Kelly popped up to 3b. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora inning 3 T King grounded out to ss. Carrozza walked. Puklin flied out to cf. M Bachio walked; Carrozza advanced to second. Guajardo reached on a fielder's choice; M Bachio out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 4 Matachun flied out to cf. McCabe popped up to ss. Valliere lined out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora inning 4 Foote popped up to 2b. Soldat flied out to cf. Markett grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 5 Lanni walked. Ortiz singled; Lanni advanced to second. Ortiz advanced to second; Lanni advanced to third on a wild pitch. Handler flied out to cf, SF, RBI; Ortiz advanced to third; Lanni scored. Stacey to p for Voelz. Daniels grounded out to 2b. Mercado struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 5 B Jensen singled. T King grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; B Jensen out on the play. Carrozza grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 6 D Kelly singled. Matachun singled; D Kelly advanced to third. McCabe flied out to rf. Wittenmyer to p for Stacey. Matachun advanced to second; D Kelly scored on a balk. Valliere walked. Valliere advanced to second; Matachun advanced to third on a wild pitch. Valliere advanced to third; Matachun scored on a wild pitch. Lanni walked. Michalson to p for Wittenmyer. Ortiz flied out to cf, SF, RBI; Valliere scored. Lanni advanced to second on an error by c. Handler lined out to 1b. 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 6 Puklin grounded out to ss. M Bachio walked. Guajardo reached on a fielder's choice; M Bachio out at second p to 2b. Guajardo advanced to second on an error by p. Foote struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 7 Daniels singled. Daniels stole second. Mercado struck out swinging. D Kelly reached on an error by 2b; Daniels scored, unearned. Matachun flied out to cf. McCabe reached on an error by 1b; D Kelly advanced to third. Valliere popped up to 2b. 1 run, 1 hit, 2 errors, 2 LOB. Aurora inning 7 Soldat reached on an error by lf. Markett walked; Soldat advanced to second. B Jensen struck out swinging. Cave pinch hit for T King. Cave singled, RBI; Markett advanced to second; Soldat scored, unearned. Carrozza grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; Cave out on the play. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 8 Cave to cf. Lanni flied out to rf. Ortiz singled. Ortiz stole second. Handler grounded out to ss; Ortiz advanced to third. Daniels struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 8 Puklin grounded out to ss. M Bachio struck out looking. Guajardo struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Eastern Conn State inning 9 Mercado grounded out to 3b. D Kelly homered, RBI. Matachun singled. McCabe struck out looking. Valliere reached on a fielder's choice; Matachun out at second ss to 2b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Aurora inning 9 Foote flied out to rf. Jass pinch hit for Soldat. Jass singled. Skelton pinch hit for Markett. Skelton popped up to 3b. Rossow pinch hit for B Jensen. Rossow grounded out to 2b unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Updated Sept 2003