REGIONAL WEBSITEAll recaps by Drew KarpenGAME ONE - #1 FROSTBURG STATE 7, #6 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON 1 - FINALFrostburg State proved why they are ranked No. 2 in the country and earned the top seed in the Mideast Region with a 7-1 win over host Washington and Jefferson at Ross Memorial Park to open up the regional tournament.
The Bobcats (38-6) earned the second win in as many weeks over the Presidents (28-16) behind the right arm of senior Greg Schneider.
“It is huge,” Bobcats coach Guy Robertson said. “You can’t go in the loser’s bracket in a tournament like this. This helps the guys feel more comfortable for the rest of the tournament.”
Schneider tossed a complete game, striking out 10 and allowing the one run in the eighth inning, ending his scoreless streak at 16 innings against the Presidents this year.
“My arm was feeling a little tired,” Schneider said. “It has been a long season but I was ready for this. My stuff was working today.”
Schneider, a University of Pittsburgh transfer and local product out of Thomas Jefferson High School, was able to perform in front of family and friends.
“It is nice for me,” Schneider said. “I can have family and friends come and watch. It is great to know they are there and are supporting me.”
The Bobcats got to Presidents ace Riley Groves in the first inning, getting the first of their five two out RBIs. After a hit by pitch and single put runners on the corners, senior first baseman Ricky Brady dumped a two-out, two-run double to right field to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
“It is always good to score first,” Brady said. “We have a really good record when we score first. In that at bat I went 0-2. I was a little anxious at first. It was a good pitcher on the mound and I was just trying to stay back on it and dump it into right field.”
All game long, Groves struggled to get through the Bobcats order, leaving after only four innings of work, allowing six runs on nine hits.
“Coach (Jeff) Mountain always preaches to stay around the plate,” Groves said. “We are taught to stay around the zone and attack the hitters. They (Frostburg State) are a good hitting team and put some defensive swings on the ball and found the holes. Some of them weren’t hard hit but I guess that is the way the chips fall in baseball. Some days they are hit right to the defender and the other it gets over their heads.”
After falling behind 7-0, the Presidents finally got something going against Schneider, but it was short lived.
Senior Kyle Smith delivered his second hit of the game, an RBI single to right field. On the play, Nick Morton tried to score the second run after the ball was bobbled in right field, but was thrown out at home on the play.
“He (Schneider) had all of his pitches working around the zone,” Smith said. “He did the same thing last time against us. We felt confident against him coming into the game. He got in a groove earlier and was able to work the counts and keep us off balanced. We just weren’t able to get anything going against him.”
Offensively, the Bobcats were led by Brady and Zach Keeler. Brady finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run. Keeler was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs.
The Bobcats will play in the winner’s bracket tomorrow at 3:15 p.m.
The Presidents will have to fight through the loser’s bracket, a situation coach Jeff Mountain says his team is familiar with.
“It is a tough road once you lose the first game,” Mountain said. “It is not an easy thing. Things didn’t go our way, but I think if we get a key out early, we are in there at the end.
“We have been in this situation before. We have to come out and play our game. We don’t need to play perfectly, we just need to play a little bit more crisply.”
The Presidents will be the early game tomorrow, beginning at noon.
GAME TWO - #5 SHENANDOAH 5, #2 ADRIAN 1 - FINALShenandoah University kept their perfect record of wins in the first round of regionals alive with a 5-1 win against Adrian College in the Mideast Region at Ross Memorial Park on Wednesday.
The Hornets (28-8-1) are now a perfect 7-0 in the first round and will advance to the winner’s bracket tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
“That is key,” Hornets coach Kevin Anderson said. “If you lose this first game, that puts you up against the 8-ball. You have to play perfect baseball. We made the moves we had to in order to win the game.”
The No. 5 seed Hornets were led on the mound by Darrell Thompson, who went seven innings and allowed one run on seven hits and struck out five.
“Tremendous performance, first of all, on the mound from Darrell,” Anderson said. “I thought he pitched and got us out of some jams. He had some big strikeouts.With the exception of the home run, which was still a good pitch, he was on point. Our plan was about the 110 range. He had to labor too much early on. The plan changed to just get through the seventh. That helped him out.”
The No. 2 seed Bulldogs (33-11) took the lead in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Jeff Gertley. It was the first home run of the regional and 10th of the season for Gertley.
“I battled the entire at bat,” Gertley said. “I found my pitch on a full count and was able to drive it.”
The Bulldogs were in prime position to add on to their lead with runners on first and third with no outs in the third, but Thompson’s houdini act got him out of trouble. Thompson induced a pop up to the infield, struck out the next batter and got out of the inning two batters later on a flyout to right field.
“First and third and no outs, I was trying to strike out the first guy,” Thompson said. “I jammed him and got him to pop up to Billy (Arens). I made some good pitches on the next couple of batters.”
The Hornets cracked the scoreboard for the first time in the regional in the fifth on a RBI double from the 9-hole hitter, Joe Campbell.
They would take the lead for good two innings later on another RBI double, this time by Billy Arens.
“All day their pitcher made great pitches,” Arens said. “I got up there and was looking for a fastball I can drive into right field and that approach helped me. I stayed on the offspeed and ended up getting lucky.”
Adrian senior Eric Schmidt was the tough luck loser, going eight innings and allowing three runs.
“Overall, I am pleased but I am not trying to go out on a loss,” Schmidt said. “A couple of pitches I executed well but they had the key hits when they needed it.”
Daniel Freshley and John Joseph had three hits each for Shenandoah and Adrian, respectively.
The win was No. 350 Anderson at Shenandoah.
For the Bulldogs, they need to regroup quickly as they play in the first elimination game against Washington and Jefferson tomorrow at noon.
“We need to forget about today,” Bulldogs coach Craig Rainey said. “We need to get some energy back into the team. Games at this time of the year is just about execution.”
GAME THREE - #3 HEIDELBERG 6, #4 LA ROCHE 5 (10 INNINGS) - FINALIn baseball, the twenty-seventh out is the hardest to get. La Roche learned that the hard way on Wednesday in their first round game in the Mideast Regional against Heidelberg.
Down to their last strike, the Student Princes (32-12) delivered with a game-tying single off the bat of senior Doug Miller.
“It was a senior doing a senior move,” Heidelberg coach Chad Fitzgerald said. “He was not overwhelmed with the situation. He saw it well and put a good swing on it.”
The heroics continued for Heidelberg in the bottom of the 10th when Joey Rydzewski collected his fourth hit of the game, a walk-off infield single that scored Steven Morse.
“I was just trying to work the count and do whatever I could to help the team win,” Rydzewski said. “I said if I get up to bat, I am ending the game.”
Although he suffered the loss, La Roche senior Tyler Ferguson pitched one of the best games of his career. With a final pitch count of 153, Ferguson pitched all 9? innings.
“Their kid Ferguson threw an unbelievable game,” Fitzgerald said. “That was a real gutsy performance from him. Derek and Jimmy gave us a chance to win the game. We had some big hits in the game as well.”
“I wasn’t going to give it up,” Ferguson said. “One-hundred and fifty one pitches is a little bit unusual but it was just a great effort by everybody and one of the greater efforts I ever had.”
The Redhawks (30-12) got the ball rolling with a 4-0 lead through the first four innings. Coming up big for La Roche was Brian Tougher, recording an RBI double and single in his first two plate appearances.
“I just made adjustments,” Tougher said. “He got me a couple times with the slider. I was able to make the adjustment and the ball fell in.”
Heidelberg started to mount their comeback in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by Christian Verde. It was his seventh long ball of the year.
Morse followed with his seventh long ball of the season in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 5-3.
“He was throwing a lot of fastballs early in the count,” Morse said. “I was fortunate to get a good swing on it.”
Heidelberg ace Derek Hendrixson settled in, holding La Roche without a run for his final five innings of work.
“He has been a workhorse for us all season,” Fitzgerald said. “He wasn’t on normal rest. It took him awhile to get a feel for the game but he had to change things up. He found the right pitches.”
La Roche will look to regroup when they face top-seeded Frostburg State in an elimination game for the Redhawks.
“That is a tough loss,” Redhawks coach Chase Rowe said. “Especially with a lead like that. Tyler pitched a heck of a game. Heidelberg has a great offense.
“We really feel like with the schedule we played, we are able to compete with anyone. We just hope the bats get hot. We have relied on that all year.”
The Student Princes will face Shenandoah in the nightcap tomorrow.
GAME FOUR - #6 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON 9, #2 ADRIAN 3 - FINALWashington and Jefferson picked up their fourteenth home win of the season and seventh regional win in school history on Thursday, but few have felt more special.
The No. 6 Presidents (29-16) eliminated the second seed Adrian College from the Mideast Region with a 9-3 win at Ross Memorial Park.
“The opportunity to play at home in the NCAA tournament is a special thing,” Presidents coach Jeff Mountain said. “Obviously, our first regional win was unique and special but today was definitely a highlight.
“We were very confident coming in. We were confident with the guy we had on the mound today. We came out ready to play. Baseball is a unique sport. One day one thing happens and the next something else happens. We were victimized by two out runs yesterday and today we scored four runs with two outs in the second inning. Big innings are difficult to come by at this stage.”
The Presidents jumped out to an early 5-0 lead on the Bulldogs in the second inning. All runs were unearned off of Bulldogs starter Jordan Frayer.
With already a 3-0 lead, freshman Gannon Rooney delivered the big blow with a towering two run shot over the left field fence.
“It felt really great,” Rooney said. “You can feel the momentum changing to our side. I knew he (Frayer) would come to me and try to get a quick out. I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and I had enough power and wind behind it. It loosened everybody up. With the way Jared (Baird) has been throwing, we knew we only needed a couple of runs to back him up. We have been able to rely on him.”
The five runs would have proven to be enough for senior Jared Baird who was starting his third game in the last seven days.
Baird pitched 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and struck out seven.
“It is the postseason, so I knew I just had to go out there and get it done,” Baird said.
“I think what Baird has done for the last week is just unbelievable,” Mountain said. “It is one of the most amazing things that I have been a part of. I think he is inspiring the rest of the guys as well.”
With a 6-1 lead, the Presidents received their second two-run home run of the game, this time off the bat of Nick Vento. It was the fourth of the season for Vento.
All tournament long the Bulldogs (33-12) struggled to find a consistency in their offense, scoring four runs in two games.
“Obviously not the way we want to end the season,” Adrian coach Craig Rainey said. “I thought our guys did a good job of battling hard. Things didn’t fall our way the last couple of days.”
The lone bright spot for the Bulldogs was centerfielder Jeff Gertley. Gertley belted his second home run of the regional in the eighth inning to chase Baird from the game.
“I struggled the whole day at the plate and I was looking for a pitch I could drive and was able to do so,” Gertley said.
Jordan Frayer suffered the loss for the Bulldogs, going two innings, allowing six runs (one earned) on six hits.
“One thing followed the other and I just didn’t execute well in that second inning.”
Offensively, everyone in the lineup for the Presidents recorded at least one hit or an RBI.
“When we are at our best, we are getting production from all guys in the lineup,” Mountain said. “It took us awhile to see who was going to be our guys. They are getting into a better routine. We need to be that way. Everyone needs to be able to hit.”
The 29th win was the eighth highest in a single season for the Presidents.
W&J will play the 3:15 game on Friday, May 15 against an opponent to be detemined through play on Thursday afternoon.
GAME FIVE - #4 LA ROCHE 4, #1 FROSTBURG STATE 3 - FINALIn the past 24 hours, La Roche College has experience complete opposite ends of the celebration spectrum.
After falling in the first round game to Heidelberg on a walk off hit, the Redhawks returned the favor against top-seed Frostburg State with a 4-3 win on a walk off double by senior Colin Feikles in the Mideast Region at Ross Memorial Park on Thursday.
“It is never fun to be on the other side, especially when you are fighting hard,” La Roche coach Chase Rowe said. “It is nice to be on this side. We ultimately believe that we can win every game. We had a little bit of a confidence factor knowing we already beat them twice. They are an amazing team. We are fortunate to be on the right side tonight.”
Against the Bobcats ace Bennett Schiltz, Feikles delivered a line drive double to left center field, scoring Tyler Craig. Craig entered the game in the first inning after Colin Williamson left the game after Schiltz’s hit him in the jaw with a pitch.
“Walking up to the box, my heart was flying all over the place,” Feikles said. “I took a deep breath and got myself in the zone. I was looking for the fastball and was able to put a good swing on it.”
Schiltz was making his first start in three weeks due to injury. The loss was the first of the season for the senior.
“I thought it took me a while to get settled in,” Schiltz said. “I haven’t pitched in about three weeks. Once I got settled in we were able to get some big outs but in the end it just didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”
The Bobcats (38-7) struggled to capitalize on their opportunities, leaving 12 runners on base and had some untimely errors, allowing the Redhawks to score two unearned runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
“We talked yesterday about all the two out hits we got and we couldn’t buy one today,” Frostburg State coach Guy Robertson said. “That’s baseball. Bottom line is we made too many mistakes to win the ball game.
“Let me tip my cap to La Roche. Those guys played a fantastic ball game. They took advantage of every mistake today. They did enough to beat us and we didn’t do enough to win the ball game.”
The Bobcats would recapture the momentum in the top of the sixth, tying the game up 3-3. Junior Connor Cooper was right in the mix scoring the game-tying run after recording his third base hit of the game. Cooper finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.
“It gave us tons of momentum,” Cooper said. “We were all working our butts off for Bennett. He is coming back from injury. He has been our No. 1 throughout the season. We didn’t know if it was going to be his last game.”
The Redhawks received their second heroic pitching performance in as many days, this time from Walt Hadjuk. After 141 pitches, Hadjuk delivered the must-win, going the distance and allowing three runs on 12 hits and struck out five.
Hadjuk found himself in trouble often, but was consistently able to work out of it. None was bigger than getting out of a bases loaded, 1-out jam in the eighth by inducing a 6-4-3 double play.
“The game was on the line at that point,” Hadjuk said. “I just wanted to get a groundball and they made the play.”
“I thought Walt did a great job for us,” Rowe said. “He has been probably pitching like the guy we recruited the last two, three months of the season. He has won some big games for us in the past and proved it again today. We have been battling and have had strong senior leadership. I am proud of these guys and just happy to say, ‘see you tomorrow’.”
La Roche advances to play host Washington and Jefferson tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. Frostburg State will turn around and play an elimination game at noon.
GAME SIX - #3 HEIDELBERG 5, #5 SHENANDOAH 0 - FINALHeidelberg University senior Adam Manner stole the show Thursday night in the winner’s bracket game against Shenandoah, taking a no-hit bid into the eighth inning in the Student Princes 5-0 win in the Mideast Region.
“I thought we came to the ballpark tonight with a great attitude,” Heidelberg coach Chad Fitzgerald said. “We woke up and had breakfast and everything was good. That carried over to when we got here. We played well. With the start that Adam had, it makes the game seem pretty easy at times.”
Manner’s no-hit bid was broken up by Nolan Overby on a one out single to left field.
“I just wanted to get on base to give my team an opportunity to score some runs,” Overby said.
“I would probably say around the fifth or sixth inning I was starting to pay attention that I haven’t given up a hit,” Manner said. “I was really cruising but at the same time my goal is not to come out and throw a no-hitter. It is to help give this team a chance to win and I think coming out tonight, that is what I did. Doug and Joey made some outstanding plays tonight on the left side of the defense.
“I don’t think I let it change my approach. One of my biggest pet peeves is walking guys so when I got behind in the count, I just needed to just start attacking.”
Offensively, senior catcher Alex Grove provided 80 percent of the offense with an RBI triple, solo home run and two RBI single with the bases loaded.
“I was staying aggressive at the plate and was making sure I was getting ahead in the count,” Grove said. “I was fortunate enough to put the barrel on the ball and catch it out front.”
For Shenandoah, starter Michael Scimanico labored through six innings, allowing four runs on six hits.
“I thought he got huge with runners in scoring position,” Shenandoah coach Kevin Anderson said. “He had seven walks and six strikeouts. We try to get seven, eight innings out of our starters. He pitched out of some jams.”
Offensively, Overby and Ricky Pardo were the only ones to record hits for Shenandoah.
The Hornets (28-9-1) will have a quick turnaround and play Frostburg State at noon tomorrow in an elimination game.
“If you can’t get up for regionals, you probably shouldn’t be playing the game,” Anderson said. “We are going to see a tremendous left hander tomorrow from Frostburg State. Competitors look forward to these kinds of things and our guys are going to give a great effort.”
For Heidelberg, they are in the driver seat and will play for a chance to reach the championship game tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
“We are just going to take the same approach we have been all season,” Fitzgerald said. “We are taking it one inning, one at bat, one pitch at a time. We will come out and be prepared and ready to play.”
GAME SEVEN - #1 FROSTBURG STATE 7, #5 SHENANDOAH 2 - FINALFrostburg State University erupted for five runs in the eighth inning to complete their comeback against Shenandoah in an elimination game of the Mideast Region at Ross Memorial Park.
The top-seeded Bobcats broke a 2-2 tie on a one out single by senior Zach Weiss.
“I was just looking for a ball to drive,” Weiss said. “I wasn’t able to come through in that spot yesterday and I am glad I got another chance today.”
“That has been something we have been able to do throughout the course of the season,” Frostburg State coach Guy Robertson said. “A lot of times it seemed like it was a big home run but it was a collection of hits tonight. It is nice to get the breathing room, especially going into that last inning.”
Shenandoah was in control of the contest through the first five innings, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. In the second inning Joe Coleman blooped an RBI double to left field and the Hornets tacked on another run on an RBI single in the sixth by Michael Paul. Unfortunately for the Hornets, those would be their last runs of the season.
“Our whole thing was to try and get up by five runs and we never got there,” Shenandoah coach Kevin Anderson said. “The biggest lead we had was two.”
The Bobcats (39-7) tied the game in the bottom of sixth on an RBI triple by Greg Schneider and then a sacrifice fly by Ricky Castro. Schneider was penciled into the lineup in the leadoff spot after recording the win in game one.
“At that point it was getting a little frustrating,” Schneider said. “We weren’t getting anything going. I was able to get ahead in the count and was waiting for a fastball and was able to drive it.”
Frostburg State got another outstanding pitching performance from Clayton Freimuth. Freimuth went seven innings, allowing two runs and striking out six. Nick Huff came out and picked up the win in the last two innings.
“That was a gutty performance,” Robertson said. “I don’t know if we fed off of yesterday’s performance, but we sure did get another one out of lefty Clayton Freimuth today. That was a heck of a job out of him.”
Paul recorded two hits and an RBI in his final collegiate game as a member of Shenandoah.
“Shenandoah has been basically my life. I am here to play baseball. We always joke that I am majoring in baseball. I couldn’t of imagined playing baseball anywhere else.”
The Hornets finished the season 28-10-1 and competed in the Mideast Region for the first time in school history.
“It was a great challenge for us,” Anderson said. “Washington and Jefferson hosted a spectacular regional. They should be very proud of the job they did. I think whoever wins this region has a legitimate shot to win the World Series.”
After ending their two game losing streak against the Hornets, the Bobcats will play Heidelberg tonight at 6:30 p.m.
GAME EIGHT - #4 LA ROCHE 4, #6 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON 1 - FINALIt was the twin killer that ended Washington and Jefferson’s season and propelled La Roche to championship Saturday in Mideast Regional play at Ross Memorial Park on Friday.
The No. 4 Redhawks (32-12) turned four double plays en route to a 4-1 win over the No. 6 seed and host Presidents (29-17).
“That is a tough pill to swallow,” Presidents coach Jeff Mountain said. “Baseball can be a pretty cruel sport. I think today kind of exemplifies that. I give La Roche a lot of credit. They played well and have a great coach in Chase Rowe who turned that program around.”
A big part of the Redhawks plans was the addition of Tyler Craig. Craig entered the game yesterday after Colin Williamson went down with an injury and maintained in the lineup tonight. He was responsible for turning each double play.
“When Williamson went down yesterday, we went with Craig and we stuck with him today,” La Roche coach Chase Rowe said. “He is a great defender. David (Lemely) throws the splitter and gets a ton of ground balls. Craig deserves a ton of credit for us turning those double plays.”
Responsible for inducing those double plays was sophomore David Lemely. Lemely went the distance, allowing one run on five hits. Lemely redeemed his performance from earlier in the year when he struggled against the Presidents in a no decision.
“I can’t thank my defense enough today,” Lemely said. “They were incredible. Every time I was in a jam, they bailed me out. I felt like if I got the ball over the plate, my defense was going to be able to pick me up. I just got on a roll there.”
One of the players grounding into a double play was sophomore Derek Helbing. Helbing was also responsible for the Presidents lone run with an RBI single.
“When I got up to bat with runners on first and second and grounded into a double play, it was pretty frustrating,” Helbing said. “I don’t think it is emotionally draining, just a little bad luck.”
Offensively, Cory Podvasnik led the charge for the Redhawks, going 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a two run home run to increase the lead from 2-1 to 4-1 in the sixth inning. It was Podvasnik’s 11th home run of the season, breaking the school record for most home runs in a single season.
“I was thinking about it coming into the game and into the tournament,” Podvasnik said. “I just wanted to end my baseball career on top. I just wanted to show everyone that I belong out there.”
The win also marked the 32 of the season for the Redhawks, another single season record.
“I didn’t even know that,” Rowe said. “I think this group of seniors have broke that record every year. That is a testament to these guys. They bring it every day and work so hard.”
For the Presidents, the seniors will never forget what they accomplished and the experienced they received in their final year.
“It was an awesome experience,” Kyle Smith said. “Once we found out we were hosting the regional, it gave us an extra incentive to make it here. It was great experience.”
“It has been an outstanding experience,” Mountain said. “It has been a first class experience. Our guys have done a phenomenal job running it. All the coaches participating have been pleasantly surprised with how well it has gone. The fans have had a good experience and most importantly the athletics have had a good experience. I tip my cap to our seniors.”
Smith finished his collegiate career 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.
For the Redhawks, they look to continue their run tomorrow after falling to the loser’s bracket right away on Thursday.
“That was a heartbreaker for us on Thursday,” Rowe said. “We just keep playing pitch-to-pitch baseball. The defense has stepped up and we are confident going in. We are going to hope to get the bats going.”
GAME NINE - #1 FROSTBURG STATE 9, #3 HEIDELBERG 6 - FINALFor the first time in program history, Frostburg State University will be heading to the regional championship.
Down 6-1, the Bobcats (40-7) scored eight unanswered runs to defeat Heidelberg 9-6 in the Mideast Region on Friday night.
“It won’t set in until after tomorrow,” Frostburg State coach Guy Robertson said. “If you ask anybody in the ballpark except for our guys in the dugout, you would think we would be left for dead.”
The Bobcats cut the deficit to 6-4 entering the sixth inning when Ricky Brady gave Frostburg State the lead with one swing of the bat. On a 1-2 count, Brady deposited the ball over the right field wall for his 11th home run of the season.
“It felt good off the bat,” Brady said. “They were pitching me offspeed all day so I was expecting them to continue. I wasn’t trying to do too much. It helped when we cut the lead to 6-4 before that.”
The Bobcats added two more insurance runs, one coming off the bat of catcher Lane Farmer. Farmer’s seventh home run of the season was his only hit of the game but led the regionals with a .625 batting average entering the game.
“I feel like I have been seeing the ball pretty well,” Farmer said. “I am just trying to get the bat on the ball and hit it where the players aren’t. I was lucky enough to get a high and in pitch which is a hitter’s dream.”
The Student Princes (33-13) looked like they were in prime position to head to the championship game with a six run fourth inning. Heidelberg scored their first three runs on two bases loaded walks and a hit by pitch and got a big two RBI single from Doug Miller in the inning.
“It was my only hit of the ball,” Miller said. “I got a piece of it. Good thing about tomorrow is that we can still win two and win it.”
The tide changed in the fourth inning when Frostburg State brought in seldom used Zach Lawhorn to shut down the Heidelberg offense. Lawhorn inherited two runners in the inning and picked up the win after pitching 4? scoreless innings.
“Unbelievable performance from Zach (Lawhorn),” Robertson said. “He stifled them and kept them off balanced.
“Zach came into the game somewhere around the 12 inning mark. What we got tonight was outstanding. He is a tough kid. You can’t say enough about him. He hasn’t pitched in a lot of meaningful situations. He really stepped up big time tonight.”
For the Student Princes, Derek Hug led the way with a 4-for-5 performance.
“We had it going. It felt good having that lead. It obviously didn’t turn out. It happens.”
The Student Princes will have to dust this one off quickly as they will take on La Roche tomorrow at noon for a chance to meet up with Frostburg State in the championship game.
“It was a tough one,” Fitzgerald said. “Every loss is big. We have to play two games tomorrow and we will be ready.”
The No. 2 ranked team in the country will look to make history with their first regional championship.
“We have an unbelievably resilient group of guys in here,” Robertson said. “Five runs was insignificant to this group tonight. It was an unbelievable group effort. No matter what happens tomorrow, I am super proud of what these guys have been able to accomplish. You can imagine the effort you will get tomorrow after seeing their effort tonight.”
GAME 10 - #4 LA ROCHE 6, #3 HEIDELBERG 5 - FINALLa Roche College scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to come-from-behind and eliminate Heidelberg University from the Mideast Regional at Ross Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Redhawks (34-12) advanced to their first regional championship in school history with a 6-5 win. La Roche redeemed their only loss in the regional tournament, a 6-5 loss to Heidelberg in the opening round.
“I thought we battled,” Heidelberg coach Chad Fitzgerald said. “We did the best we could. Obviously, it didn’t end up the way we wanted. They had one big inning. That is unfortunate. We have a great group of seniors. That is a tough way to go out. We didn’t make enough adjustments at the plate at the end.”
With the score tied 4-4, Brian Tougher came up with his biggest hit of the season, a two run single to put the Redhawks ahead for good.
Before that inning, senior Adam Manner came into pitch for the Student Princes after throwing a complete game two-hitter on Thursday.
“He is probably tired,” Fitzgerald said. “He wanted the ball. I am concerned about their well being. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I can’t say enough about his desire to win. It was an unbelievable effort on his part.”
On the other end, Redhawks senior Tyler Ferguson provided the gutsiest performance of the tournament, finishing the complete game on 117 pitches, three days after he threw 153 against Heidelberg in the opener.
“He likes to compete too,” Fitzgerald said. “At this point, I don’t think pitch counts are that important as they usually are. He went out and threw strikes. He kept us off balanced.”
One player that had Ferguson’s number was freshman Joey Rydzewski. Rydzewski recorded six hits against the southpaw in two games and had 3 RBIs today.
“I just picked up the ball well out of his hand,” Rydzewski said. “My approach didn’t change. He was pitching me outside and I was just focused on hitting the ball the other way.
“This has been a great experience. I would like to thank all the seniors for being there with me. I appreciate everything they have done for me.”
Tougher led the Redhawks with a 2-for-3 performance, including the game-winning hit.
For Heidelberg, senior Alex Grove finished his career with a 4-for-4 day at the plate.
“I love this school,” Grove said. “I love this team. I have eight other seniors out there that are my brothers. Sometimes in life it doesn’t go your way. We are disappointed but this has been an amazing experience. I couldn’t of asked for a better school, coach and teammates.”
The Student Princes finished their season at 33-14 under first year head coach Fitzgerald.
“They just like to battle,” Fitzgerald said. “When all the seniors came in as freshman, it was the year after we went to the world series. The history of the program is there. These guys had it rough at first. We needed to get better as a team and we did. They are great people, not just baseball players.”
La Roche advances to the Mideast regional championship against Frostburg State.
GAME 11 - #1 FROSTBURG STATE 8, #4 LA ROCHE 4 - FINALFrostburg State has been waiting 72 years to hoist the Regional Championship trophy but will wait no more. After a 3 hour and 19 minute delay, the Bobcats will be advancing to their first NCAA Division III World Series with a 8-4 against La Roche College at Ross Memorial Park.
The Bobcats (41-7) got off to a fast start, scoring two runs in each of the four innings. Frostburg State was up 4-2 before the lengthy rain delay, forcing both teams to readjust the pitching matchups earlier than expected.
Frostburg State started freshman transfer Greg Schneider. Schneider pitched the first three innings and allowed two runs. He struck out seven but struggled a little with his command, walking four batters. Schneider was also one of three Bobcats names to the all-tournament team. He also batted .444 in two starts in left field.
Senior transfer Lane Farmer was named tournament MVP for the Bobcats. All season long, the catcher has performed as the team MVP.
Also making the all-tournament team was senior third baseman Zach Weiss.
With the game still in reach, sophomore Jake Stephens started the game back up after the delay on the mound and shut the door. Entering the game, Stephens pitched 11 innings on the season, but picked up his second win of the season with four shutout innings in relief.
On short staff, La Roche went to Walt Hadjuk to start the game. Hadjuk struggled from the onset, only lasting two innings, giving up eight hits and five runs.
Making the all-tournament game for the Redhawks was senior pitcher Tyler Ferguson and senior first baseman Cory Podvasnik.
Ferguson had one of the gutsiest performance in the tournament, pitching 270 pitches in two starts. He bounced back after an opening round loss to Heidelberg, beating the Student Princes to advance to the championship game.
Podvasnik hit his 11th home run of the season during the regional, setting a new single season record at La Roche.
The Redhawks finished the season 33-13, marking a new single season record for wins in a season. The regional championship appearance was also the first for the Redhawks.
The Bobcats -- ranked second in the country -- will make their first trip to Appleton, Wis. They will face Ramapo in their opening round game next Thursday.
