Game 8 - May 27-28, 2006
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Sometimes, a starting pitcher may become worried about his arm tightening up while sitting in the dugout if his teammates have a big inning at the plate. But how about having to wait overnight? That's what Marietta College starting pitcher Mike DeMark had to do in his effort against Montclair State University at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
After two weather delays on Satuay night, the game was postponed after two-and-a-half innings and resumed on Sunday morning. And despite the long delay, DeMark (pictured left)tied a season-high wrdith 11 strikeouts in six innings of work, leading his Pioneers to a 7-4 triumph over the Red Hawks. W
ith the win, Marietta (41-11) remains in the winner's bracket in pursuit of its fourth national title in its 18th appearance in the national finals. The Pioneers will face Chapman University (33-11) later Sunday at 7:45 p.m. in the winner's bracket final, with the winner advancing to Tuesday's final games assured of a top-two national finish.
Meanwhile, Montclair State (34-18-2) drops to face Eastern Connecticut State University (36-19) in an elimination-bracket game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. DeMark pitched the ninth inning in relief to pick up a save in Marietta's 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Friday, then got the call to start Saturday's game. He kept the Red Hawks hitless over the first five innings, before a single by Brian Butler broke up the no-hit bid to lead off the sixth.
"Yesterday, I thought he was throwing the ball really well. He came out this morning and said he felt good," said Marietta head coach Brian Brewer. "Obviously, health and safety is our No. 1 concern, and we checked with him this morning when he woke up, he felt good. Once he got here, he threw the ball around and said he felt really good." DeMark said he wasn't worried about the overnight delay; he was more worried about the warm and humid weather conditions that greeted the two teams on Sunday morning. "The heat this morning was bad on me, especially after last night and the delays - pitch an inning, come in and sit for 45 minutes and go back out there again," DeMark said.
The Pioneers scored five runs in the first two innings before the severe weather hit the area on Saturday night and delayed the game. In the first, sophomore Justin Steranka (pictured left) hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season, a three-run blast to left field. "It was very big," Brewer said. "If he makes up his mind that he's going to get a good pitch and shows some life in the barrel, that's what he does." "I went up there just looking to drive the ball, maybe get a double. When I first hit it, I knew I hit it solid, but I didn't think it was going to clear the fence, so I was thinking double all the way," said Steranka, who went 2-for-4 at the plate.
"It was a great start, and other guys picked us up from there." In the second, Chris Hendricks smacked a leadoff double to the right-center gap, then came around to score after Ryan Belanger reached base on a throwing error on a sacrifice-bunt attempt. A sacrifice fly by Jarrod Klausman plated another run for the Pioneers.
When the game resumed in the bottom of the third inning, Marietta's DeMark returned to the mound and kept his no-hit bid going.
In the fifth, Montclair State put the first two runners on base via walks, and a sacrifice bunt and Michael Nunes sacrifice fly enabled the Red Hawks to score, cutting the lead to 5-1. In the bottom of the fifth, a hit and walk put two runners aboard, and after a passed ball, an RBI infield single by Lee Guerrera gave the Pioneers a 6-1 advantage.
Three straight singles loaded the bases for Montclair State in the sixth, and a run came across on a double-play grounder. Another run came across on a single up the middle by Lou Politan.
Marietta's Belanger led off the sixth inning with a double down the left-field line. A walk and single later, a sacrifice fly by Joe Litke plated a run.
Jason Baumler replaced DeMark in the seventh and pitched three innings of relief to claim the save.
Rob Bowness (pictured right) went 3-for-5 for Montclair State, while Robert Clark had two hits.
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Montclair State 4 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Michael Nunes cf.......... 3 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 Danny Rodriguez 2b........ 5 1 1 0 0 2 3 2 Brian Butler lf........... 5 1 1 0 0 3 2 0 Rob Bowness dh............ 5 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 Robert Clark 3b........... 5 0 2 0 0 2 0 3 Andrew Vicaro c........... 3 0 0 0 1 1 6 1 Lou Politan 1b............ 2 1 1 1 2 1 11 0 Scott Evangelist rf....... 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 Kevin Cuozzi ss........... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Thomas Meyer ph........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 James Scelzo ss........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tim Stringer p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 William Traverso p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Chris Schindler p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals.................... 32 4 8 3 6 12 24 9 Marietta 7 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Ryan Belanger 2b.......... 3 2 1 0 1 0 2 3 Justin Merryman lf........ 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 Tom Doty ph............... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Tim Knowlton lf........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jarrod Klausman 1b........ 2 2 1 1 1 0 9 0 Justin Steranka 3b........ 4 1 2 3 1 0 0 1 Joe Lithe dh.............. 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 Tony Piconke rf........... 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Lee Guerrera c............ 4 0 1 1 0 1 10 2 Chris Hendricks cf........ 3 1 1 0 0 2 3 0 Ryan Eschbaugh ss......... 3 1 2 0 1 0 1 3 Mike DeMark p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Jason Baumler p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals.................... 28 7 9 6 7 7 27 11 Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Montclair State 000 012 100 - 4 8 1 Marietta 320 011 00 - 7 9 0 ---------------------------------------------- E - Stringer. DP - Montclair St 1; Marietta 1. LOB - Montclair St 10; Marietta 10. 2B - Belanger; Hendricks. 3B - Bowness. HR - Steranka. SB - Piconke. SH - Cuozzi; Belanger; Merryman; Klausman. SF - Nunes; Klausman; Litke. Montclair State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Tim Stringer........ 2.0 2 5 4 4 2 6 13 William Traverso.... 3.1 5 2 2 2 2 13 17 Chris Schindler..... 2.2 2 0 0 1 3 9 11 Marietta IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Mike DeMark......... 6.0 4 3 3 5 11 19 27 Jason Baumler....... 3.0 4 1 1 1 1 13 14 Win - DeMark 9-1. Loss - Stringer 4-5. Save - Baumler (2). PB - A Vicaro. BK - DeMark. HBP - by DeMark (S Evangelist); by Traverso (Hendricks). Umpires - Home:Brandon Jackson 1st:Carmine Perotti 2nd:Eric Thorton 3rd:Steve Reinhardt Start: 9:40pm Time: 2:46 Attendance: 1692
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Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Montclair State 000 012 100 - 4 8 1 Marietta 320 011 00 - 7 9 0 ---------------------------------------------- Montclair State inning 1 Nunes walked. D Rodriguez struck out swinging. B Butler struck out swinging. Bowness flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Marietta inning 1 Belanger walked. Merryman grounded out to 3b, SAC, bunt; Belanger advanced to second. Klausman walked. Steranka homered to left field, 3 RBI; Klausman scored; Belanger scored. Litke walked. Piconke struck out looking. Guerrera grounded out to 1b unassisted. 3 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 2 R Clark struck out swinging. A Vicaro walked. Politan struck out swinging. S Evangelist hit by pitch; A Vicaro advanced to second. Cuozzi struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Marietta inning 2 Hendricks doubled to right center. Eschbaugh walked. Belanger reached on a throwing error by p, SAC, bunt, advanced to second; Eschbaugh advanced to third; Hendricks scored. Merryman struck out looking. Klausman flied out to cf, SF, RBI; Belanger advanced to third; Eschbaugh scored, unearned. Steranka grounded out to 3b. 2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 3 Nunes grounded out to 2b. D Rodriguez struck out looking. B Butler struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Marietta inning 3 Traverso to p for Stringer. Litke singled to left field. Piconke reached on a fielder's choice; Litke out at second ss to 2b. Piconke stole second. Guerrera struck out swinging. Hendricks struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 4 Bowness struck out swinging. R Clark struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b. A Vicaro struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Marietta inning 4 Eschbaugh singled to center field. Belanger grounded into double play 2b to 1b; Eschbaugh out on the play. Merryman grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Montclair State inning 5 Politan walked. S Evangelist walked; Politan advanced to second. Cuozzi grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; S Evangelist advanced to second; Politan advanced to third. Nunes flied out to rf, SF, RBI; S Evangelist advanced to third; Politan scored. D Rodriguez lined out to lf. 1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Marietta inning 5 Klausman singled to center field. Steranka flied out to rf. Litke walked; Klausman advanced to second. Piconke fouled out to 1b. Litke advanced to second; Klausman advanced to third on a passed ball. Guerrera singled to first base, RBI; Litke advanced to third; Klausman scored. Hendricks hit by pitch; Guerrera advanced to second. Eschbaugh fouled out to 1b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB. Montclair State inning 6 B Butler singled through the left side. Bowness singled down the rf line; B Butler advanced to second. R Clark singled through the left side; Bowness advanced to second; B Butler advanced to third. A Vicaro grounded into double play ss to 1b; R Clark out on the play; Bowness advanced to third; B Butler scored. Politan singled up the middle, RBI; Bowness scored. Politan advanced to second on a balk. S Evangelist walked. Cuozzi struck out swinging. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Marietta inning 6 Belanger doubled down the lf line. Merryman walked. Klausman grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; Merryman advanced to second; Belanger advanced to third. Schindler to p for Traverso. Steranka intentionally walked. Litke flied out to lf, SF, RBI; Steranka advanced to second; Merryman advanced to third; Belanger scored. Piconke struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Montclair State inning 7 Baumler to p for DeMark. Nunes grounded out to p. D Rodriguez singled up the middle. B Butler grounded out to 2b; D Rodriguez advanced to second. Bowness singled up the middle, RBI; D Rodriguez scored. R Clark singled to left field; Bowness advanced to second. A Vicaro flied out to cf. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Marietta inning 7 Guerrera grounded out to ss. Hendricks struck out looking. Eschbaugh singled to center field. Belanger reached on a fielder's choice; Eschbaugh out at second 3b to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 8 Politan walked. S Evangelist reached on a fielder's choice; Politan out at second ss to 2b. T Meyer pinch hit for Cuozzi. T Meyer flied out to cf. Nunes out at first 3b to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Marietta inning 8 Scelzo to ss for T Meyer. Doty pinch hit for Merryman. Doty struck out swinging. Klausman lined out to 1b. Steranka singled to center field. Litke lined out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Montclair State inning 9 Knowlton to lf for Doty. D Rodriguez grounded out to 2b. B Butler struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b. Bowness tripled to right field. R Clark grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Updated May 2006