Game 9 - May 28, 2006
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The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, but Wheaton College escaped with a 5-4 victory to survive another day. Thus the Lyons advance through the loser's bracket of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.
Trailing 5-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, UW-Stevens Point senior Chuck Brehm (pictured right) made the last at bat of his collegiate career a memorable one by blasting a two-run homer that carried over the wall in left-center field. A walk followed by an RBI single by Tim Schlosser closed the gap to one run, but that was as far as the magic that helped carry the Pointers through the postseason would end.
"I knew our guys were not going to give in," said UW-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom. "To get to where we had the winning run at the plate says a lot about our character, says a lot about our toughness, and the degree to which our guys believe in one another and the degree to which they believe in our team. That's all you can ask for as a coach."
The comeback attempt was remarkable considering the fact that it came against one of the top closer's in the country, Jamie Baker, who was among the national leaders in saves heading into the finals. But Baker's shaky outing didn't make Wheaton head coach Eric Podbelski second guess his decision to pull Lyons' starter Louie Bernardini (pictured left) who was phenomenal through 8.1 innings. "It's just the move we decided to make and it worked out even though it might have been a little scary," said Podbelski. "I wouldn't rather have anyone up there to get the last out of the game than Jamie Baker."
Bernardini, who didn't allow a hit through the first four innings Sunday, got into a bases loaded jam with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. However, he was able to get Jordan Zimmerman to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and fanned the next batter to get out of the inning with a 2-1 lead. "That hurt us," said Bloom. "It took us out of the inning when we thought we really had something good going. As much as we battled, [Bernardini] made the pitches he needed to make in tough situations."
The Pointers then had a costly mistake on defense in the top of the sixth inning. The Lyons attempted a squeeze bunt with runners at second and third base, but Brandon Leonard failed to get the bunt down on an outside pitch leaving Adam Laplante alienated halfway down the third baseline. UW-Stevens Point catcher Doug Coe chased Laplante back towards the base, but Leonard was able to get back safely and Wheaton went on to score three runs in the inning initiated by a two-RBI single by Travis Anthoine (pictured right).
"We had executed against a squeeze play and had an out recorded, but didn't get it," said Bloom. "We work on those things so when those things occur in big games like this we're able to execute and make the plays. That was a big turning point, because it allowed them to get away with making a crucial mistake and actually get rewarded for it by scoring runs. "
Anthoine, who accounted for four of his team's five runs, was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Scott Guillernault (pictured left) also boasted a three-hit day at the plate. Podbelski, whose team improved to 10-1 in one-run games in 2006, explained that his team seems to rise up in tight games by being able to move runners into scoring position through productive outs and avoiding the big inning-ending play unlike what had devastated the Pointers. Bernardini took care of the rest.
"The game plan was just to stay loose," said Bernardini. "That's the key for me. If I start to tighten up then I'll hit guys or I'll walk guys and you saw a little bit of that in the middle of their order."
UW-Stevens Point starting pitcher Travis Kempf also had a strong outing. Kempf gave up nine hits and five earned runs, but had seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings on the hill. "He didn't deserve the fate that he had," Bloom said of Kempf. "[Wheaton] just got it done when it mattered. That's ultimately what determines winners or losers this time of the year."
The loss eliminates the Pointers from their sixth Championship appearance and first since 1997. Meanwhile, Wheaton will attempt to improve on their school-record 40-win season. The Lyons will play the winner of Montclair State versus Eastern Connecticut State University on Monday, May 29. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m.
Story | Boxscore | Play-by-Play
Wheaton 5 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Rafael Castillo ss........ 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 4 Jake Yagilian 2b.......... 5 0 1 2 0 3 2 3 Andy Koocher 1b........... 4 0 0 0 0 1 13 1 Scott Guillerault 3b...... 4 0 3 0 0 0 1 5 Adam Laplante c........... 3 1 2 0 1 0 7 0 Pat O'Conner rf........... 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Mark Baumer dh............ 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Jeff Martin dh............ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Brandon Leonard cf........ 3 1 0 0 1 2 3 0 Travis Anthoine lf........ 3 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 Louie Bernardini p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Jaime Baker p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals.................... 31 5 11 5 3 11 27 14 Wisconsin-Stevens Pt 4 Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Jake Fromback ss.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 Nat Richter 2b............ 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 Ryan Byrnes lf............ 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Doug Coe c................ 4 0 1 0 0 1 12 2 Joel Hojnacki pr.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Adam Evanoff 1b........... 2 1 0 0 1 1 4 1 Chuck Brehm cf............ 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 Jordon Zimmerman dh....... 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 Tim Schlosser 3b.......... 4 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 Kyle Cummings pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brandon Scheidler rf...... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Travis Kempf p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 Jeff Zielke p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Totals.................... 30 4 6 3 3 7 27 11 Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Wheaton 001 013 000 - 5 11 0 Wisconsin-Stevens Pt 000 010 003 - 4 6 0 ---------------------------------------------- DP - Wheaton 3; Wisc-SP 1. LOB - Wheaton 6; Wisc-SP 5. 2B - Anthoine 2; Byrnes. HR - Brehm. CS - R Castillo; Anthoine. SH - R Castillo 3; J Martin. Wheaton IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Louie Bernardini.... 8.1 4 2 2 2 5 26 31 Jaime Baker......... 0.2 2 2 2 1 2 4 5 Wisconsin-Stevens Pt IP H R ER BB SO AB BF Travis Kempf........ 5.1 9 5 5 3 7 22 28 Jeff Zielke......... 3.2 2 0 0 0 4 9 10 Win - Bernardini 6-2. Loss - Kempf 5-3. Save - None. WP - Kempf. HBP - by Bernardini (Evanoff); by Bernardini (Brehm); by Bernardini (Scheidler). Umpires - Home:Mike Walsh 1st:Andre Lanoue 2nd:Kevin Joyce 3rd:Carmen Perotti Start: 1:18pm Time: 211 Attendance: 1827
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Score by innings: R H E ---------------------------------------------- Wheaton 001 013 000 - 5 11 0 Wisconsin-Stevens Pt 000 010 003 - 4 6 0 ---------------------------------------------- Wheaton inning 1 R Castillo struck out swinging. Yaglian struck out looking. Koocher grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 1 Frombach grounded out to 3b. Richter struck out swinging. Byrnes grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wheaton inning 2 Guillerault singled to center field. Laplante walked; Guillerault advanced to second. O'Conner reached on a fielder's choice; Laplante advanced to second; Guillerault out at third p to 3b. Baumer struck out swinging. Leonard struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 2 Coe grounded out to 1b unassisted. Evanoff hit by pitch. Brehm walked; Evanoff advanced to second. Jo Zimmerman grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; Brehm out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Wheaton inning 3 Anthoine doubled down the rf line. R Castillo out at first c to 2b, SAC, bunt; Anthoine advanced to third. Yaglian grounded out to 1b unassisted, RBI; Anthoine scored. Koocher out at first 1b to p. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 3 Schlosser struck out looking. Scheidler grounded out to ss. Frombach grounded out to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wheaton inning 4 Guillerault singled up the middle. Laplante singled to shortstop; Guillerault advanced to second. O'Conner struck out looking. Baumer struck out swinging. Leonard flied out to rf. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 4 Richter grounded out to 2b. Byrnes flied out to cf. Coe struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wheaton inning 5 Anthoine walked. Anthoine advanced to second on a wild pitch. R Castillo out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt; Anthoine advanced to third. Yaglian singled to center field, RBI; Anthoine scored. Koocher struck out swinging. Guillerault grounded out to 2b. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 5 Evanoff walked. Brehm hit by pitch; Evanoff advanced to second. Jo Zimmerman singled to second base; Brehm advanced to second; Evanoff advanced to third. Schlosser grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; Jo Zimmerman out on the play; Brehm advanced to third; Evanoff scored. Scheidler struck out swinging. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Wheaton inning 6 Laplante singled to third base. O'Conner singled to right field; Laplante advanced to second. J Martin to dh for Baumer. J Martin out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt; O'Conner advanced to second; Laplante advanced to third. Leonard walked. Anthoine singled to left field, 2 RBI; Leonard advanced to second; O'Conner scored; Laplante scored. R Castillo singled to center field, RBI; Anthoine advanced to third; Leonard scored. Zielke to p for Kempf. Yaglian struck out swinging. R Castillo out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 6 Frombach grounded out to ss. Richter out at first 1b to p. Byrnes doubled down the rf line. Coe flied out to cf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Wheaton inning 7 Koocher flied out to cf. Guillerault singled to left field. Laplante grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; Guillerault out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 7 Evanoff grounded out to 3b. Brehm popped up to 1b. Jo Zimmerman struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wheaton inning 8 O'Conner popped up to ss. J Martin struck out swinging. Leonard struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 8 Schlosser singled to right field. Scheidler hit by pitch; Schlosser advanced to second. Frombach grounded into double play 3b to 1b; Scheidler advanced to second; Schlosser out on the play. Richter grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB. Wheaton inning 9 Anthoine doubled to left center. R Castillo out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt; Anthoine advanced to third. Anthoine out at home c unassisted, caught stealing. Yaglian struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt inning 9 Byrnes lined out to cf. Coe singled to right center. J Baker to p for Bernardini. Hojnacki pinch ran for Coe. Evanoff struck out swinging. Brehm homered to left center, 2 RBI; Hojnacki scored. Jo Zimmerman walked. Schlosser singled to left field, RBI; Jo Zimmerman scored. Cummings pinch ran for Schlosser. Scheidler struck out swinging. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Updated May 2006