2014 NCAA Game 12
Seventh-seeded Wesleyan University advanced to the loser’s bracket final with a 6-1 victory over host and fifth-seeded Misericordia University Saturday night in an elimination game of the 2014 Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional in Moosic.
Wesleyan will play Susquehanna University Sunday at 12 noon for the right to battle Baldwin Wallace College for the regional championship.
The Cardinals’ starter Gavin Pittore improved to 7-1 on the hill. The hard-throwing righty allowed no runs and scattered five hits while fanning 10. Sam Elias picked up his third save of the season throwing 1.1 innings of scoreless ball.
Wesleyan was led offensively by freshman Ellis Schaefer who went 3-4 at the dish with a RBI. Andrew Yin went 2-4 with two runs scored while Jonathan Dennett added a hit in two official at bats and drove in two runs.
Wesleyan opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first inning plating two early runs. Robby Harbinson led off the game by ripping the first pitch he saw into the right field corner for a double. After a walk and an error by the shortstop, the bases were loaded for Sam Goodwin-Boyd who drove in the game’s first run with a sac fly to left field.
Pete Egbert went to the bullpen after only four batters and replaced starter Dan Kliesh for southpaw Cory Vogeli. Vogeli induced a sac fly to right to score the second run of the inning and Al Reda threw a potential base stealer out at second to end the frame.
Misericordia threatened in the top of the fifth when they loaded the bases with no outs but Pittore struck out the next three batters in order to leave the bases full.
The Cardinals broke the game open in the sixth using four hits and two Cougar errors to score four runs and increase the lead to 6-0. Wesleyan loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and an error by the shortstop. Dennett walked to force in the first run of the inning. After an infield fly for the first out Ben Hoynes hit a chopper two Kyle Sewards at short, the Cougars got the force out at second but the throw to first for the double play was wide allowing two runs to score to stretch the lead to 6-0.
Misericordia got on the board with a single tally in the eighth inning. With two outs Kyle Seawards reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and reached second on the errant throw. He then moved to third on a pinch hit single by Joe Tagliarini and scored on a Reda RBI single to left center. Pinch hitter Bryce Frankenfield was hit by a pitch to load the bases but after a Wesleyan pitching change, Chris Boroch struck out to end the threat.
Kliesh picked up the loss for the Cougars. The freshman allowed two runs, one earned in just a third of an inning before giving way to Vogeli. Vogeli kept Misericordia in the game throwing 5.2 innings of relief surrendering four runs, only two of which were earned and scattered seven hits. Brett Davis and Jim Tunison each tossed a scoreless frame of relief.
Offensively Misericordia picked up seven hits but stranded 12 runners, leaving the basses loaded twice. Mike Comerford went 2-4 at the plate with a triple while Al Reda went 2-3 with the team’s lone RBI.
Wesleyan improves to 30-12, tying the programs single season wins record. The Cougars conclude their season at 31-15-1.
