*** 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.
Apaches has got to be the greatest sports team name in history!
It is certainly up there!
The Apaches are utterly awesome! What a baseball dynasty!
You said it perfectly!
The Apaches are racist.
Now, now, the Apaches have suffered enough without you lobbing accusations of racism at them.
I love your way of making these lesser teams interesting! Go Apaches!
Thank you very much for saying so.
Tyler College! HELL YEAH!
You said it!
Lewis Clark State is pretty badass.
Yes they are.