College Baseball:
You couldn’t have written a better script.
The underdogs from Cal State San Bernardino faced top-seeded Millersville at the NCAA Division 2 World Series, and a Wednesday loss meant the Coyotes dream season was over.
The Marauders out-hit CSUSB, 11-4, and held a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth.
No biggie.
San Bernardino scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth to send the No. 1 seed home to Pennsylvania.
CSUSB edged the Marauders, 6-5, in Cary, North Carolina.
Luke Hempel pitched his butt off, but wasn’t in on the decision.
Hempel went eight strong, allowing two runs on six hits.
He didn’t issue a walk and fanned three Millersville batters.
Oscar Rauda was roughed up for three runs on four hits in just 1/3 of an inning.
But Conner Batzer got the final two outs to give the Coyotes a fighting chance as they grabbed their bats in the bottom of the ninth.
Justin Taylor hit a two-run HR in the top of the sixth to give the Marauders a 2-0 lead.
Bren Taylor went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Keegan Soltis singled twice and scored.
Cole Houser singled and scored.
Matthew Williams’ two-run single in the ninth gave Millersville a 4-3 lead.
Colby Gromlich went 7 2/3 innings for Millersville and surrendered three runs (one earned) on four hits.
Gromlich walked three and registered a pair of strikeouts.
What had to make the loss even tougher for the top seed was the fact that CSUSB scored five runs combined (eighth and ninth innings) on one hit.
Jason Shedlock’s single in the bottom of the sixth got the Coyotes to within 2-1.
Giovanni Del Negro had a two-run double in the eighth to give CSUSB a 3-2 lead.
Trailing 5-3 in the ninth, Shedlock was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and Jake Borst scored on a wild pitch to even the game at 5-5.
Former Glendora two-sport star Matt Gonzales was injured towards the latter part of the season, but in the ninth, he pinch ran for Riley Parker after Parker drew a walk.
Gonzales would advanced to second on the hit-by-pitch batter, and to third on the passed ball.
That’s when Daryl Ruiz would hit a sac fly to right to score Gonzales with the game winning run.
The key stat of the game had to be three CSUSB pitchers combined for no walks, while four Marauders issued a total of seven.
Shedlock finished with a walk, single, run and two RBIs.
DeShawn Johnson walked and scored.
Takuto Kataoka walked, singled and scored.
Ruiz walked to go with his game-winning sac fly.
Borst walked, doubled and scored a pair of runs.
Up next: CSUSB will face Rollins College tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 10:30 (our time).
The Coyotes need wins on Thursday and Friday over Rollins to advance.
Box Score:
M: 0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-3-(5)
SB: 0-0-0-0-0-1-0-2-3-(6)
Win: Conner Batzer (3-1)
Loss: Evan Rishell (6-1)
HR: Justin Taylor (M)
2B: Thomas Caufield (M); Giovanni Del Negro (SB), Jake Borst (SB)
Records: Millersville (45-10); San Bernardino (45-18)
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