2005 NCAA Division III Baseball Mid-Atlantic Regional
2005 Tournament Statistics
Five-Run Seventh Leads Rowan To 6-0 Win Over Alvernia In Regional Final
Boyertown, PA – Rowan senior Josh Schwartz made his first relief appearance and pitched out of a two-on, no-out jam in the top of the seventh inning, and the offense tallied five runs in the bottom of the seventh as the top-seeded Profs won their second straight Mid-Atlantic Regional Baseball Tournament Monday morning with a 6-0 win over #3 Alvernia College at Bear Stadium. Rowan advances to the NCAA Division III World Series in Appleton, Wisc., for the second straight season. Schwartz, who pitched a complete game in Rowan’s 10-2, Friday night win over The College of New Jersey, struck out 15 batters in the weekend tournament, and earned the save and the Tournament MVP with Monday’s performance.
Schwartz entered in the seventh inning after starter Tom McCullen’s wild pitch moved runners to second and third with no one out. Ryan Zimmerman opened the inning with a single and McCullen didn’t handle Dan Myers’ sacrifice bunt cleanly. His first pitch to sophomore Ben Reifsnyder, who was also trying to sacrifice, was too far inside for catcher Mike Rucci to handle prompting head coach John Cole to summon Schwartz from the pen in his first career relief appearance. Schwartz came back to get Reifsnyder swinging and retired pinch hitter Gene Stricker in similar fashion before leadoff hitter Ryan Mark hit a bouncer to third to end the inning.
Rowan centerfielder Brian McLaughlin opened the bottom of the eighth with a ground ball that skipped below the glove of substitute infielder Josh Santos at short. The next batter walked, but Alvernia starter Tim Frisch who was brilliant through six innings, retired McLaughlin at third on a failed sacrifice. Frisch hit Rowan leadoff hitter Frank Galeota to load the bases with one out bringing up Matt Enuco, the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Regional MVP. Frisch nearly had Enuco on a full-count foul pop out, but the catch by Myers was ruled out of play as the junior first baseman caught the ball on his way into the Crusaders’ dugout. Enuco laced the next pitch, the tenth of the at bat, into the gap in left center for a bases clearing double. Alvernia senior Brandon DeWald entered in relief of Frisch and retired Rucci on a groundball to short, but gave up and single and a double that drove home two more runs that put the Profs up 6-0 after seven.
Alvernia freshman Zach Lutz ripped up a one-out double to center off Schwartz in the eighth, and senior pinch hitter Sean Dugan walked in the ninth, but that was all the Crusaders could muster off the senior lefthander over the last two innings.
2005 Mid-Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team
MVP - Josh Schwartz, Rowan
Catcher - Anthony Recker, Alvernia; First Base - Irv McFarland, Rowan; Second Base -Nolan Neiman, DeSales ; Third Base - Zach Lutz, Alvernia; Shortstop - Ian Hauze, DeSales; Matt Johnson, Rowan; Outfield - Brian McLaughlin, Rowan; Chris Heisey, Messiah; Pete Jordan, Alvernia; Designated Hitter - Dan Pierce, Alvernia; Pitcher - Josh Schwartz, Rowan; Tom McCullen, Rowan; Ted Serro, F&M.
2005 Results
Rowan 1, Franklin and Marshall 0 (10)
Alvernia 6, College of New Jersey 5Messiah 1, Franklin and Marshall 0