Game 8 - May 28, 2005
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Grand Chute, Wisconsin - Losing seven games in a row to Rowan University over the last four seasons - including three games in a row earlier this season -- didn't matter much to the College of Wooster entering Saturday night's game in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium. The game that mattered the most between the two teams put the Scots a game closer to realizing the dream of a national championship.
Behind a 3-for-4, three-RBI performance from designated hitter Kurt Kapferer (pictured right) and a solid starting pitching effort from Brian Miller, Wooster claimed an 8-2 victory over Rowan in a championship bracket game. With the win, Wooster (39-7) will face Wisconsin-Whitewater (43-7) on Sunday at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the finals. Rowan (42-9) will drop to the elimination bracket to face Wartburg (36-10) on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Batting in the cleanup spot, Kapferer uncorked a towering home run to right-center field in the sixth inning. A double in the first inning drove in a run and a single to center drove in another run, completing a three-RBI, two-run effort that kept his Scots alive in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Wooster jumped on the board early and never trailed. Back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Kapferer and Pat Christensen gave the Scots a 2-0 lead. In the third, the Scots scored again, as Division III National Player of the Year Luke Ullman stroked a leadoff double to center and scored on a Kapferer single. Kapferer's solo homer gave the Scots a commanding 4-1 lead.
The Scots claimed insurance runs in their final two innings of work, as Brandon Boesiger singled, Ullman walked and both scored on a two-run single by Jake Frank in the seventh. Boesiger singled and scored on a triple by pinch-hitter Brock Busson. Busson then scored on a wild pitch to complete the Scots' scoring.
Rowan's Frank Galeota (pictured right) had three of his team's six hits in the contest and reached base all five times he appeared at the plate, adding two walks and scoring two runs. He scored on a single by Michael Rucci in the fifth inning and came across on a groundout by Irv McFarland in the seventh.
Miller pitched five-and-two-thirds innings for the Scots, striking out six while walking five and allowing four hits. Ryan Mullins and Walt Samson pitched short stints for the Scots before Luke Katich (pictured left), making his second straight appearance in relief in the tournament, pitched the final two-and-a-third innings, striking out three while allowing just one walk and no hits.
Ryan Kulik started for Rowan and pitched six-and-two-thirds innings, striking out two while allowing six runs and eight hits. Gary Winkler and Conrad Renner pitched in relief.
Story | Boxscore | Play-by-Play
Rowan University 2 (42-9) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Frank Galeota 2b......... 3 2 3 0 2 0 3 2 0 Matt Enuco 3b............ 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 5 0 Michael Rucci c.......... 4 0 1 1 1 1 3 0 0 Jesse Pappler dh......... 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 5 Roger Turley pr/dh...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Irv McFarland 1b......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 9 2 0 Bryan Ciconte rf......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 2 Brian McLaughlin cf...... 4 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 Jim Comprelli lf......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 Matt Johnson ss.......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 Ryan Kulik p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Gary Winkler p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Conrad Renner p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 32 2 6 2 8 11 24 15 11 College of Wooster 8 (39-7) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Luke Ullman ss........... 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 6 0 Shaun Swearingen cf...... 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Jake Frank 3b............ 3 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 0 Kurt Kapferer dh......... 4 2 3 3 0 1 0 0 2 Pat Christensen rf....... 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 Rob Romick 1b............ 4 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 1 Brandon Boesiger c....... 3 2 2 0 0 0 11 0 0 Dean Palombaro lf........ 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Brock Busson ph/lf...... 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Ross Yoder 2b............ 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Brian Miller p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ryan Mullins p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Walt Samson p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Luke Katich p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 8 10 7 3 3 27 11 4 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Rowan University.... 000 010 100 - 2 6 2 College of Wooster.. 201 001 22X - 8 10 0 ------------------------------------------- E - Enuco; Rucci. DP - Wooster 1. LOB - Rowan 11; Wooster 4. 2B - McFarland(14); Ullman(23); Kapferer(11); Christensen(14). 3B - Busson(2). HR - Kapferer(10). HBP - Boesiger. SH - Swearingen. SB - Galeota(27). Rowan University IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Ryan Kulik.......... 6.2 8 6 6 3 2 25 30 Gary Winkler........ 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 4 4 Conrad Renner....... 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 College of Wooster IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Brian Miller........ 5.2 4 1 1 5 6 20 25 Ryan Mullins........ 0.1 2 1 1 1 1 3 4 Walt Samson......... 0.2 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 Luke Katich......... 2.1 0 0 0 1 3 7 8 Win - Miller (6-2). Loss - Kulik (9-3). Save - Katich (7). WP - Renner; Miller; Katich. HBP - by Kulik (Boesiger). Umpires - HP: Bob Lynn 1B: Wayne Shelton 2B: Bill Ryan 3B: Tim McIntyre Start: 8:23 pm Time: 2:42 Attendance: 2330 s. Mullins faced 2 batters in the 7th.
Story | Boxscore | Play-by-Play
Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Rowan University.... 000 010 100 - 2 6 2 College of Wooster.. 201 001 22X - 8 10 0 ------------------------------------------- Rowan University starters: 3/2b Galeota; 18/3b Enuco; 9/c Rucci; 22/dh Pappler; 26/1b McFarland; 5/rf Ciconte; 44/cf McLaughlin; 7/lf Comprelli; 1/ss Johnson; 28/p Kulik; College of Wooster starters: 2/ss Ullman; 15/cf Swearingen; 16/3b Frank; 29/dh Kapferer; 9/rf Christensen; 30/1b Romick; 13/c Boesiger; 14/lf Palombaro; 6/2b Yoder; 35/p Miller; Rowan University 1st - Galeota singled to left center. Galeota stole second. Enuco walked. Rucci reached on a fielder's choice; Enuco advanced to second; Galeota out at third ss to 3b. Pappler grounded into double play 3b to 1b; Enuco out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. College of Wooster 1st - Ullman flied out to lf. Swearingen grounded out to 2b. Frank walked. Kapferer doubled down the rf line, RBI; Frank scored. Christensen doubled to center field, RBI; Kapferer scored. Romick popped up to 2b. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Rowan University 2nd - McFarland grounded out to ss. Ciconte walked. McLaughlin struck out looking. Comprelli grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. College of Wooster 2nd - Boesiger hit by pitch. Boesiger out at first p to 1b to 2b to 1b, picked off. Palombaro singled to left field, out at second lf to 2b. Yoder grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Rowan University 3rd - Johnson grounded out to ss. Galeota singled to first base. Enuco flied out to cf. Galeota advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rucci walked. Pappler struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. College of Wooster 3rd - Ullman doubled to center field. Swearingen grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; Ullman advanced to third. Frank struck out swinging. Kapferer singled to center field, RBI; Ullman scored. Christensen reached on a fielder's choice; Kapferer out at second 3b to 2b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Rowan University 4th - McFarland grounded out to ss. Ciconte popped up to 2b. McLaughlin struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. College of Wooster 4th - Romick flied out to cf. Boesiger flied out to cf. Palombaro lined out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Rowan University 5th - Comprelli grounded out to ss. Johnson grounded out to 3b. Galeota walked. Enuco walked; Galeota advanced to second. Rucci singled through the left side, RBI; Enuco advanced to second; Galeota scored. Pappler struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. College of Wooster 5th - Yoder grounded out to 3b. Ullman reached on a fielding error by 3b. Ullman out at second p to 1b to ss, picked off. Swearingen flied out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Rowan University 6th - McFarland doubled to left center. Ciconte struck out swinging. McLaughlin struck out swinging. Mullins to p for Miller. Comprelli walked. Johnson struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. College of Wooster 6th - Frank flied out to rf. Kapferer homered to right center, RBI. Christensen flied out to lf. Romick flied out to cf. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Rowan University 7th - Galeota singled to first base, bunt. Enuco singled to third base, bunt; Galeota advanced to second. W. Samson to p for Mullins. Rucci struck out swinging. Pappler walked; Enuco advanced to second; Galeota advanced to third. McFarland out at first 2b to p, RBI; Pappler advanced to second; Enuco advanced to third; Galeota scored. Turley pinch ran for Pappler. Katich to p for W. Samson. Ciconte grounded out to 3b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. College of Wooster 7th - Boesiger singled to left center. Boesiger advanced to second on a throwing error by c, failed pickoff attempt. Palombaro struck out looking. Yoder grounded out to 3b. Ullman intentionally walked. Swearingen walked; Ullman advanced to second; Boesiger advanced to third. Frank singled to left field, 2 RBI; Swearingen advanced to second; Ullman scored; Boesiger scored. Winkler to p for Kulik. Kapferer struck out looking. 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB. Rowan University 8th - McLaughlin flied out to cf. Comprelli struck out swinging. Johnson struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. College of Wooster 8th - Christensen grounded out to ss. Romick grounded out to ss. Boesiger singled to left field. Renner to p for Winkler. Busson pinch hit for Palombaro. Busson tripled to right center, RBI; Boesiger scored. Busson scored on a wild pitch. Yoder grounded out to 3b. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Rowan University 9th - Busson to lf. Galeota walked. Enuco flied out to rf. Galeota advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rucci grounded out to ss; Galeota advanced to third. Turley to dh. Turley struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Updated June 2005