New England Regional - Game 10 - May 18, 2003
Story | Boxscore | Play-by-Play
Willimanti, CN -- Tournament Most Outstanding Player Tom Koch sparked a six-run ninth-inning rally with a two-out, two-run double as the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team rallied to defeat Bridgewater State College 8-3 Sunday to win the 2003 NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Tournament.
The defending national champion and No.1 ranked team in Division III, Eastern (41-7) qualifies for its ninth NCAA Division III national tournament and will open play at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, WI at 11 a.m. ET Friday against Mid-Atlantic Regional champion DeSales University (Center Valley, PA), which will be making its first tournament appearance, defeated Otterbein College Sunday in that regional's championship game. Fourth-seeded Bridgewater (27-12) needed two wins over top-seeded Eastern to win its second New England Regional championship.
The Warriors, who set program records for wins and home wins (22) with the victory, captured their second straight regional title for the first time since 1982-83. Eastern has won the regional title the last four times it has served as host, twice going on to win national titles. Bridgewater had advanced to the championship round with two wins Saturday after losing 6-2 to Wheaton College Friday in a second-round game. Eastern has won its first three tournament games, defeating Wheaton 6-2 Saturday in the winners' bracket.
Eastern had managed only six hits and two runs off senior righty Tim Hart before scoring six times on six hits in the ninth. Senior rightfielder Dan Silva tied the game 3-3 with a one-out single and Koch put Eastern ahead for good with a two-run, two-out double down the left field line. Junior leftfielder Eugene Julien made it 6-3 with a single and junior centerfielder Dwight Wildman drove in the seventh run of the game with a single to right. He later stole home - his third stolen base of the game -- to make it 8-3.
Bridgewater, which had lost 19-3 to Eastern April 23, wiped out a 2-0 Eastern lead with single runs in the the, sixth and seventh against junior lefty Jeremy Hall. Junior centerfielder Michael Richard tied the game 2-2 with his seventh home run - a solo shot to left-center with one out in the sixth - and junior leftfielder Jim Sullivan's RBI single to left plated junior second baseman Jason Arraiol from second with one out in the seventh with the only unearned run allowed by Eastern in the tournament.
Hall (4-0), who has won all seven of his career decisions, got a fly ball to left and stabbed a sharp ground ball and threw to first to record the final out of the inning with two runners aboard. Sophomore Jason Pekrul opened the Eastern ninth with a pinch single - his second at-bat of the tournament. Pekrul then stole second and moved to third on senior catcher Jeff Funaro's ground ball to second base. Silva then drove in his first tournament run with a single to center, advanced to second on senior second baseman Morgan Thompson's (single to right-center and scored ahead of Thompson on Koch's double down the left field line.
Hart (6-3), who made 283 pitches in two games over four days, cruised through the middle innings after sophomore DH Leon Galemba had given Eastern a 2-0 lead with a two-out, two-run single in the first. Hart pitched three straight hitless innings before Silva managed a one-out single to right in the seventh which senior Jeremy Winters was unable to hold after a diving attempt.
Junior righty Joey Serfass who had pitched the first six innings of Friday's 14-0 win over Brandeis, struck out the side in the ninth to end the game.
EASTERN CONN. STATE 8 (41-7) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Thompson 2b....... 5 1 2 0 0 2 1 2 1 Tom Koch ss.............. 3 2 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 Eugene Julien lf......... 5 2 2 1 0 0 2 0 2 Dwight Wildman cf........ 5 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 Leon Galemba dh.......... 4 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 Marc Garofalo 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Jason Pekrul ph/3b...... 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Jeff Funaro c............ 5 0 0 0 0 3 13 0 2 Dan Silva rf............. 4 1 3 1 0 0 4 0 0 Greg Sullivan 1b......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 0 Jeremy Hall p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Joey Serfass p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 38 8 12 7 5 9 27 5 8 Bridgewater State 3 (27-12) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jason Arraiol 2b......... 5 1 2 0 0 1 3 5 0 Jim Sullivan lf.......... 5 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 Chad Cambra ss........... 3 0 1 0 2 1 2 2 0 Jeremy Winters rf........ 4 0 1 1 0 2 3 0 2 Joe Harkins c............ 4 0 0 0 0 2 9 0 5 Michael Richard cf....... 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 Anthony Taormina dh...... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Tim LaConte 1b........... 4 0 1 0 0 3 7 0 0 Derek Favreau 3b......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 3 2 2 Tim Hart p............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Nate Horsman p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Josh White p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 37 3 10 3 2 12 27 11 9 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- EASTERN CONN. STATE. 200 000 006 - 8 12 3 Bridgewater State... 001 001 100 - 3 10 1 ------------------------------------------- E - JULIEN, E.; SULLIVAN, G.; HALL, J.; ARRAIOL, J. DP - BSC 2. LOB - ECSU 8; BSC 9. 2B - KOCH, T.; SULLIVAN, J. HR - RICHARD, M. SB - KOCH, T. 2; JULIEN, E.; WILDMAN, D. 3; GALEMBA, L.; PEKRUL, J; SILVA, D.; SULLIVAN, G.. EASTERN CONN. STATE IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Jeremy Hall......... 8.0 10 3 2 2 9 34 36 Joey Serfass........ 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 Bridgewater State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Tim Hart............ 8.2 11 7 7 3 8 36 39 Nate Horsman........ 0.0 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 Josh White.......... 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 Win - HALL, J. (4-0). Loss - HART, T (6-3). Save - None. Umpires - HP: Mike Sadowski 1B: Don January 2B: Steve Koneski 3B: Joe Caraco Start: 12:00 Time: 2:42 Attendance: 300 Game notes: Eastern Connecticut advances to the Division III World Series this week in Appleton, Wis. Game notes: HORSMAN, N faced 2 batters in the 9th.
Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- EASTERN CONN. STATE. 200 000 006 - 8 12 3 Bridgewater State... 001 001 100 - 3 10 1 ------------------------------------------- EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 1 THOMPSON, M. grounded out to 1b unassisted. KOCH, T. walked. KOCH, T. stole second. JULIEN, E. singled to left field; KOCH, T. advanced to third. WILDMAN, D. grounded out to 3b; JULIEN, E. advanced to second. GALEMBA, L. singled to right field, 2 RBI; JULIEN, E. scored; KOCH, T. scored. GAROFALO, M reached on a fielder's choice; GALEMBA, L. out at second 2b to ss. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 1 ARRAIOL, J flied out to cf. SULLIVAN, J doubled down the lf line. CAMBRA, C grounded out to 2b; SULLIVAN, J advanced to third. WINTERS, J struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 2 FUNARO, J. struck out looking. SILVA, D. singled to center field. SULLIVAN, G. grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; SILVA, D. out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 2 HARKINS, J grounded out to p. RICHARD, M lined out to ss. TAORMINA, A fouled out to c. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 3 THOMPSON, M. singled to right field. KOCH, T. reached on a fielder's choice; THOMPSON, M. advanced to second on an error by 2b, assist by p. JULIEN, E. reached on a fielder's choice, bunt; KOCH, T. advanced to second; THOMPSON, M. out at third p to 3b. WILDMAN, D. lined into double play ss to 2b; JULIEN, E. out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 3 LACONTE, T struck out. FAVREAU, D singled to right center. ARRAIOL, J singled, bunt; FAVREAU, D advanced to second, advanced to third on an error by p. SULLIVAN, J lined out to rf. CAMBRA, C walked; ARRAIOL, J advanced to second. WINTERS, J singled, RBI; CAMBRA, C advanced to second; ARRAIOL, J advanced to third; FAVREAU, D scored. HARKINS, J struck out. 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 4 GALEMBA, L. grounded out to 2b. GAROFALO, M struck out. FUNARO, J. grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 4 RICHARD, M struck out looking. TAORMINA, A singled to left center. LACONTE, T struck out looking. FAVREAU, D lined out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 5 SILVA, D. grounded out to 3b. SULLIVAN, G. walked. THOMPSON, M. struck out looking. SULLIVAN, G. stole second. KOCH, T. walked. JULIEN, E. lined out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 5 ARRAIOL, J out at first p to 2b to 1b. SULLIVAN, J flied out to rf to right center. CAMBRA, C singled to right field. WINTERS, J struck out. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 6 WILDMAN, D. flied out to rf. GALEMBA, L. struck out looking. GAROFALO, M popped up to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 6 HARKINS, J struck out looking. RICHARD, M homered, RBI. TAORMINA, A struck out looking. LACONTE, T struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 7 FUNARO, J. struck out. SILVA, D. singled to right field. SULLIVAN, G. struck out looking. SILVA, D. stole second. THOMPSON, M. struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 7 FAVREAU, D flied out to rf. ARRAIOL, J singled to third base. ARRAIOL, J advanced to second on an error by 1b, failed pickoff attempt. SULLIVAN, J singled down the lf line, RBI, advanced to second on an error by lf; ARRAIOL, J scored, unearned. CAMBRA, C intentionally walked. WINTERS, J lined out to lf. HARKINS, J grounded out to p. 1 run, 2 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 8 KOCH, T. singled to right center. KOCH, T. stole second. JULIEN, E. lined out to rf. WILDMAN, D. struck out. GALEMBA, L. popped up to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 8 RICHARD, M lined out to lf. TAORMINA, A flied out to rf. LACONTE, T singled to center field. FAVREAU, D grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. EASTERN CONN. STATE - inning 9 PEKRUL, J pinch hit for GAROFALO, M. PEKRUL, J singled to left field. PEKRUL, J stole second. FUNARO, J. grounded out to 2b; PEKRUL, J advanced to third. SILVA, D. singled to center field, RBI; PEKRUL, J scored. SULLIVAN, G. fouled out to 3b. THOMPSON, M. singled to right center; SILVA, D. advanced to second. KOCH, T. doubled down the lf line, 2 RBI; THOMPSON, M. scored; SILVA, D. scored. JULIEN, E. singled to right center, RBI; KOCH, T. scored. HORSMAN, N to p for HART, T. JULIEN, E. stole second. WILDMAN, D. singled to right field, RBI; JULIEN, E. scored. WILDMAN, D. stole second. GALEMBA, L. walked; WILDMAN, D. stole third. WHITE, J to p for HORSMAN, N. GALEMBA, L. stole second; WILDMAN, D. stole home. PEKRUL, J walked. FUNARO, J. struck out. 6 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Bridgewater State - inning 9 PEKRUL, J to 3b. SERFASS, J. to p for HALL, J.. ARRAIOL, J struck out. SULLIVAN, J struck out. CAMBRA, C struck out. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Updated Sept 2003