Mid Atlantic Regional - Game 10 - May 18, 2003
Boyertown, PA -- Boyertown, PA, (May 18, 2003) - The DeSales University baseball team defeated Otterbein College (OH), 12-4, on Sunday afternoon to win the 2003 NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship and advance to the 2003 NCAA Division III College World Series in Appleton, WI. The Bulldogs will be making its first ever trip to the College World Series after going 4-0 in the Mid-Atlantic Regional to improve its season record to 30-12. The 30 wins marks the third consecutive season head coach Tim Neiman and the Bulldogs have reached the 30-win plateau.
The DeSales offense left no doubt who would be representing the Mid-Atlantic Region in Wisconsin by scoring six runs in the first inning on Sunday afternoon. After senior Lew Campanaro walked, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on senior Brett Vargo's double, DSU put-up five more runs on the board to take early control of the game. Vargo later scored on a bases loaded walk to sophomore Kyle Hoffman and junior Mike Cohan provided both the fireworks and what turned out to be the exclamation point hitting a 2-0 pitch well past the left field wall for a grand slam and a 6-0 Bulldogs lead.
Freshman Jon Pallone and the DSU bullpen did the rest as they cruised to a 12-4 championship game win. Pallone pitched a brilliant 6.2 innings scattering eight hits, allowing four runs, and walking just one in winning his third game of the season. Junior Jeff Hurley and senior Chris Ross closed it out allowing just one hit over the last 2.1 innings.
Campanaro and Vargo combined to go 7-for-9 with seven runs scored and two RBI's to lead the offensive attack. Senior Kevin Coyle, Hoffman, and Cohan each had two hits with Cohan adding five RBI's in the win.