… AND ANOTHER COLLEGE BASEBALL CHAMPION DECIDED PLUS MORE

*** NJCAA DIVISION THREE ***

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: The final two teams left standing in NJCAA D3 were the 3-time Defending National Champions – the TYLER COLLEGE APACHES – and the NIAGARA COUNTY COLLEGE THUNDER WOLVES.

The Apaches seized a 3-0 advantage in the 1st Inning. In the 3rd the Thunder Wolves cut that lead to just 3-1 but Tyler College recouped that run in the 4th, making it a 4-1 game. A Pitcher’s Duel commenced, ending with another Apache run in the 8th Inning to win their FOURTH title in a row, this one by a 5-1 score! Aberie Hiebert threw for the W.      * THE APACHES ARE CHAMPIONS OF NJCAA DIVISION THREE * 

*** NAIA ***

DAY FIVE, FIRST SEMIFINAL: This game pitted the 2nd seeded FAULKNER UNIVERSITY EAGLES against the top seed – the OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS. The Eagles played a long game of accumulating runs, leading 2-0 in the 1st Inning, 3-0 in the 2nd and 4-0 in the 4th. Faulkner University drove in their last run in the 5th Inning, while the Stars didn’t get on the board until the 8th, scoring 3 runs of their own. The Eagles held on for a 5-3 victory behind Pitcher Ivan Pelaez.

DAY FIVE, SECOND SEMIFINAL: The Defending National Champions – the 5th seeded LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS – did battle with the Cinderella 9 seeds – the WILLIAM CAREY UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS. The Crusaders seemed like they were going to keep on dancing as they got off to a 6-2 2nd Inning lead. However the Warriors’ bats started heating up. Lewis-Clark State pulled to within 6-3 in the 3rd Inning and 6-5 in the 5th. A huge 6th Inning put the Warriors on top 11-6 and from there each team added 1 more run as Lewis-Clark State won it 12-7. Connor Brogdon was the winning Pitcher.

*** NCAA DIVISION TWO ***

DAY FIVE, GAME ONE: Starting Day 5 in D2 was this clash between the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SAN DIEGO TRITONS and the LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY LIONS. The Tritons grabbed a quick 3-0 lead in the 1st Inning and by the end of the 2nd their advantage stood at 5-2. The Lions cut it to a 5-4 game in the 3rd Inning only to see UC-San Diego go up TEN to 4 in the 6th. The 9th Inning saw Lindenwood drive in 2 more runs to the 1 scored by the Tritons, who never-the-less won out by a final tally of 11-6.  Jack Rupe was on the mound for the win.

DAY FIVE, GAME TWO: The closing game of the day in D2 pitted the COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY MAVERICKS against the DELTA STATE STATESMEN. After 2 scoreless Innings the Mavericks eked out a 1-0 edge in the 3rd. The Pitcher’s Duel resumed from there, ending in the 7th Inning with Colorado Mesa University on top of the Statesmen 3-1. The Mavericks put up 3 more runs in the 8th while Delta State could only muster 1 more in the 9th. CMU got a 6-2 triumph behind Pitcher Chris Ramirez, who threw for the entire game.

*** NJCAA DIVISION ONE ***

DAY FIVE, GAME ONE: The CHIPOLA COLLEGE INDIANS took the diamond against the MCLENNAN COLLEGE HIGHLANDERS to start the day. Neither team scored in the 1st Inning but the 2nd ended in a 5-3 lead for the Indians. That became a 7-4 advantage in the 3rd Inning and 12-6 in the 4th. Runs kept flying in like shrapnel as Chipola College went on to defeat the Highlanders by a Polo Match score of 19-11. Ryan Shauger picked up the win for the Indians.  

DAY FIVE, GAME TWO: The SAN JACINTO COLLEGE-NORTH GATORS faced the WABASH VALLEY COLLEGE WARRIORS. 1-1 was the score in the 1st Inning but hot bats turned that into a 4-2 Gators lead in the 2nd. San Jacinto College-North made that 6-2 in the 4th Inning and got more and more separation from the pursuing Warriors from there. In the end the Gators chomped off a 12-5 win with Jerry Maddox pitching.  

*** NJCAA DIVISION TWO ***

DAY FIVE, GAME ONE: In this game the LANSING COLLEGE STARS found themselves up against the MERCER COUNTY COLLEGE VIKINGS. The Stars fell behind the Vikings 1-0 in the 1st Inning but pulled ahead 6-1 in the 3rd. Mercer County College cut that to a 6-2 game in the 4th, 6-3 in the 7th and knotted things up at 6-6 in the 8th. Lansing College drove in another run in the 9th Inning for a 7-6 triumph. Blake Dahlstrom was the winning Pitcher. 

DAY FIVE, GAME TWO: Wringing down the curtain on the day’s games was this affair between the KANKAKEE COLLEGE CAVALIERS and the PARKLAND COLLEGE COBRAS. A 6-2 advantage for the Cavaliers in the 2nd Inning was flipped into an 8-6 edge for the Cobras in the 4th. The 5th Inning ended in a 9-9 deadlock. Kankakee College scored the final 2 runs of the game in the 8th and rode those to an 11-9 win. Pitcher Waylon Richardson notched the Save.