Game 5 - May 29, 2004
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Grand Chute, Wisconsin - The Aurora University baseball team went from holding its breath to letting out a collective sigh of relief with one swing of the bat. Aurora got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning and held on for a 7-6 win over Manchester College in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium. Aurora advances to an other elimination game Sunday.
"I thought we had it," Manchester catcher Greg Hollenbaugh (pictured right) said. "I thought we were going to win. I really did."
Hollenbaugh brought Manchester back in the eighth inning. Trailing 7-2, Ryan Carr started a four-run rally with a double, and Brian Minix followed with a run-scoring double. After Brock Treesh singled to score Minix, Hollenbaugh belted a two-run homer to cut the lead to 7-6. "We knew at some point we would have to break out. We've been doing it all year," Hollenbaugh said.
Manchester (35-12) started the ninth with lead-off batter Scott Tarnowski drawing a walk. After a fly out, Ryan Baird (pictured above left) came on in relief and walked Jared Kurtz. Carr then singled to left field, and Tarnowski was held at third to load the bases. Minix then grounded the first pitch hard to Aurora shortstop Aaron Thor (pictured below left), who stepped on second and fired to first to complete the double play and end the game.
"Biggest pitch of his career. Biggest pitch he had to make," Aurora head coach Shaun Neitzel said of Baird, who picked up his first save of the season. "I'm proud of him." Aurora second baseman Dan Gregory (pictured right) said the team's recent success gave him confidence they would make the play necessary to win the game. "I know all the infielders thought we were going to do it," Gregory said. "The past six, seven games we've been able to come through."
It looked like there wouldn't be any dramatics, as Aurora starter Robbie Fontana was cruising. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits, striking out eight and walking four to improve to 8-4 on the season.
Aurora (27-18) led 1-0 when it scored three times in the third. Gregory, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, tripled down the right field line to score a run. Jay Lavender followed with a run-scoring double, and Brian Brandenburg then belted a run-scoring triple to left center. "We came out to ready to hit," Gregory said. "We didn't want to go home."
Manchester trimmed the lead to 4-2 in the fourth when Hollenbaugh delivered a two-run single. He finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Aurora got one run back in the fourth when John Hopkins singled to score Chris Forbes, who had drawn a one-out walk. Aurora then touched Kurtz, who had come on in relief of Manchester starter Adam Augustine in the fifth, for two runs in the sixth. The key hit in the frame was Gregory's two-run single to put Aurora up 7-2.
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Manchester College 6 (35-12) Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Scott Tarnowski cf........ 4 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 Eric Screeton 3b.......... 4 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 Jared Kurtz c/p........... 3 0 1 0 2 0 5 0 Ryan Carr 1b.............. 5 1 2 0 0 2 11 0 Brian Minix ss............ 5 2 1 1 0 1 0 4 Josh Brock lf............. 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Brock Treesh rf........... 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 Greg Hollenbaugh dh/c..... 4 1 3 4 0 1 3 1 Ryan Seal 2b.............. 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Adam Augustine p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals.................... 35 6 10 6 6 8 24 9 Aurora Univ. 7 (27-18) Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A John Hopkins cf........... 3 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 Dan Gregory 2b............ 5 1 2 3 0 0 1 2 Jay Lavender rf........... 3 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 Brian Chelgren 1b......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 Brian Brandenburg 3b...... 4 0 2 1 0 1 3 0 Jason Smith lf............ 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Kevin Morris dh........... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 Chris Forbes c............ 2 2 0 0 2 1 11 0 Aaron Thor ss............. 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 5 Robbie Fontana p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 George Creviston p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Baird p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals.................... 33 7 10 7 3 6 27 9 Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Manchester College 000 200 040 - 6 10 2 Aurora Univ. 013 102 00 - 7 10 2 ---------------------------------------------- E - Kurtz; Hollenbaugh; BBrandenburg; J. Smith. DP - AU 1. LOB - MC 8; AU 7. 2B - Carr(11); Minix(14); J. Lavender(11); A. Thor(2). 3B - D. Gregory(5); BBrandenburg(1). HR - Hollenbaugh(2). SB - Tarnowski(31); Kurtz(6); J. Smith(9). CS - Tarnowski; J. Hopkins. Manchester College IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Adam Augustine...... 4.0 7 5 5 1 3 19 21 Jared Kurtz......... 4.0 3 2 2 2 3 14 17 Aurora Univ. IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Robbie Fontana...... 7.2 9 6 6 4 8 31 35 George Creviston.... 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 Ryan Baird.......... 0.2 1 0 0 1 0 2 3 Win - R. Fontana 8-4. Loss - Augustine 9-3. Save - R. Baird (1). HBP - by Augustine (J. Hopkins); by Kurtz (J. Hopkins). Umpires - Home:Michael Rosen 1st:Manny Salazar 2nd:Gary Kalkopf 3rd:Denns Semph Start: 10:01 am Time: 2:35 Attendance: 1481
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Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Manchester College 000 200 040 - 6 10 2 Aurora Univ. 013 102 00 - 7 10 2 ---------------------------------------------- Manchester College inning 1 Tarnowski grounded out to 2b. Screeton walked. Kurtz walked; Screeton advanced to second. Carr grounded out to 1b unassisted; Kurtz advanced to second; Screeton advanced to third. Minix struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 1 J. Hopkins struck out looking. D. Gregory fouled out to 1b. J. Lavender grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Manchester College inning 2 Brock flied out to lf. Treesh struck out swinging. Hollenbaugh struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 2 B. Chelgren struck out looking. BBrandenburg grounded out to ss. J. Smith singled to center field. J. Smith stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by c. K. Morris singled to center field, RBI; J. Smith scored. C. Forbes struck out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB. Manchester College inning 3 Seal out at first 1b to p. Tarnowski singled to shortstop. Tarnowski stole second. Screeton grounded out to ss; Tarnowski advanced to third. Tarnowski out at home c unassisted, caught stealing. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 3 A. Thor popped up to 2b. J. Hopkins hit by pitch. D. Gregory tripled down the rf line, RBI; J. Hopkins scored. J. Lavender doubled to left center, RBI; D. Gregory scored. B. Chelgren out on batter's interference. BBrandenburg tripled to left center, RBI; J. Lavender scored. J. Smith grounded out to 3b. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Manchester College inning 4 Kurtz singled to left field. Kurtz stole second. Carr struck out swinging. Minix reached on a fielder's choice; Kurtz out at third ss to 3b. Brock walked; Minix advanced to second. Treesh walked; Brock advanced to second; Minix advanced to third. Hollenbaugh singled to left center, advanced to second on an error by lf, 2 RBI; Treesh advanced to third; Brock scored; Minix scored. Seal grounded out to ss. 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 4 K. Morris flied out to rf. C. Forbes walked. A. Thor doubled down the rf line; C. Forbes advanced to third. J. Hopkins singled to center field, RBI; A. Thor advanced to third; C. Forbes scored. D. Gregory grounded out to p, bunt; J. Hopkins advanced to second. J. Lavender fouled out to c. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Manchester College inning 5 Tarnowski struck out swinging. Screeton popped up to 3b. Kurtz fouled out to c. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 5 Augustine to p for Kurtz. Hollenbaugh to c. / for Augustine. Kurtz to p for Augustine. B. Chelgren grounded out to 2b. BBrandenburg singled to center field. J. Smith flied out to lf. K. Morris grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Manchester College inning 6 Carr struck out swinging. Minix grounded out to p. Brock fouled out to c. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 6 C. Forbes walked. A. Thor singled, bunt; C. Forbes advanced to second. J. Hopkins hit by pitch; A. Thor advanced to second; C. Forbes advanced to third. D. Gregory singled to second base, 2 RBI; J. Hopkins advanced to second; A. Thor scored; C. Forbes scored. D. Gregory advanced to second on the throw; J. Hopkins out at third c to 3b, caught stealing. J. Lavender walked. D. Gregory advanced to third on an error by c, failed pickoff attempt. B. Chelgren struck out swinging. BBrandenburg struck out swinging. 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. Manchester College inning 7 Treesh struck out swinging. Hollenbaugh singled to right field. Seal flied out to rf. Tarnowski singled to third base; Hollenbaugh advanced to second. Screeton reached on a fielder's choice; Tarnowski advanced to second; Hollenbaugh out at third ss to 3b. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 7 J. Smith grounded out to 1b unassisted. K. Morris fouled out to 1b. C. Forbes flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Manchester College inning 8 Kurtz popped up to 2b. Carr doubled to left center. Minix doubled to left field, RBI; Carr scored. Brock struck out swinging. Treesh singled to left field, advanced to second on an error by 3b, RBI; Minix scored. Hollenbaugh homered, 2 RBI; Treesh scored. G. Creviston to p for R. Fontana. Seal grounded out to 2b. 4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Aurora Univ. inning 8 A. Thor grounded out to ss. J. Hopkins struck out swinging. D. Gregory grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Manchester College inning 9 Tarnowski walked. Screeton flied out to lf. R. Baird to p for G. Creviston. Kurtz walked; Tarnowski advanced to second. Carr singled to left field; Kurtz advanced to second; Tarnowski advanced to third. Minix grounded into double play ss to 1b; Carr out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Updated June 2004