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Texas Lutheran wins elimination game, advances to ASC championship round
Apr 28, 2007
Press Release posted by Texas Lutheran Permalink
SEGUIN, Texas – The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs advanced to the four-team, double-elimination round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Series with a 17-6 win over Mississippi College in the third and final game of the ASC divisional playoff series.
Saturday afternoon at TLU’s Katt-Isbel Field, TLU (32-8-1) rebounded from a 4-3 loss to the Choctaws (17-25) in the first game Saturday. The Mississippi College win forced a decisive game three and pushed the Bulldogs, the No. 8-ranked team in NCAA Division III, to the brink of elimination. TLU won the first game of the series, on Friday, by a count of 6-5.
TLU quickly fell behind 3-0 in the series finale before rallying for nine runs on eight hits in the bottom of the first inning. In the frame, TLU sent 14 batters to the plate and received RBI from Joseph Brade, Jason Foley, Josh Moreno, Brandon Opheim, Ryan Nokelby and Jake Kaase.
Scott Matocha registered a hit in both games and pushed his hitting streak to 22 games. Matocha is one game shy of tying the school record of 23, set by Jess Gingrich in 1999.
Logan Hull (6-2) relieved TLU starter Kyle Newman to start the fifth inning and worked the rest of the game. Hull allowed just three hits in his five innings of work to record the victory.
Conner Douglas (2-7) took the loss for the Choctaws. Douglass retired just one batter in the first.
TLU’s Nokelby had four RBI, three runs scored and three hits in the Bulldog victory. Kaase and Foley each added three RBI, and Opheim collected four hits, two runs scored, a stolen base and two RBI.
TLU recorded 21 hits and 16 RBI in the decisive win.
The Choctaws forced the third game behind a masterful pitching performance from left-hander Shawn Ashley, who struck out seven and walked just one. He worked around 10 Bulldog hits.
Ashley left the game with one out in the ninth and with a TLU run already across home plate. After Ryan Willis walked two batters to load the bases with one out, Nathan Stewart appeared in relief and coaxed Kaase into an inning-ending double play.
MC won the game in the bottom of the ninth. (The Choctaws were the home team in the series’ second game). A lead-off triple by Matthew Newman off TLU’s Austin Yager put the Choctaws in a great position to win. The next batter, Hugh Brown facing TLU closer Robert Conley, lifted a sacrifice fly ball to center field for the winning RBI.
Yager (7-1) took the loss. Daniel Besa started for TLU and went eight innings, allowing just two earned runs. The senior right-hander struck out five and walked two.
With the series win, the Bulldogs move to the championship round of the ASC Championship Tournament series for the third season in a row. The Bulldogs have won the last two championship tournaments to advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
TLU will face the University of the Ozarks in the second game Friday at the University of Texas-Dallas in Richardson, Texas. Texas-Dallas faces McMurry in the first game. Game times have yet to be announced. The winner of the tournament receives the ASC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament.
Mississippi College 4, Texas Lutheran 3 (Apr 28, 2007 at Seguin, Texas) (Game 1)
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Texas Lutheran...... 000 010 101 - 3 10 1 (31-8-1)
Mississippi College. 100 010 011 - 4 10 3 (17-24)
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Pitchers: Texas Lutheran - Daniel Besa; Austin Yager(9); Robert Conley(9).
Mississippi College - Shawn Ashley; Ryan Willis(9); Nathan Stewart(9).
Win-Nathan Stewart(5-4) Loss-Austin Yager(7-1) T-2:50 A-475
Willis faced 2 batters in the 9th.
Yager faced 1 batter in the 9th.
MC forces third game of ASC Division Playoff Series.
Texas Lutheran 17, Mississippi College 6 (Apr 28, 2007 at Seguin, Texas) (Game 2)
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Mississippi College. 300 200 010 - 6 6 1 (17-25)
Texas Lutheran...... 940 100 03X - 17 21 1 (32-8-1)
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Pitchers: Mississippi College - Conner Douglas; Ryan Willis(1); Steven McDevitt(2);
Robby Ashley(7); Brannon Walls(8). Texas Lutheran - Kyle Newman; Logan Hull(5).
Win-Logan Hull(6-2) Loss-Conner Douglas(2-7) T-3:30 A-500
R. Ashley faced 4 batters in the 8th.
TLU advances to 4-team, double-elimination portion of the ASC Championship Tournament Series, to be played at the University of Texas-Dallas in Richardson, Texas.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
(Double-Elimination)
Friday-Sunday, May 4-5-6
Hosted by East Division #1 Seed, University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, Texas / UTD Baseball Complex
Times TBA
FRIDAY, MAY 4
Game 5: #21 Texas-Dallas (31-9, E1) vs. McMurry (27-15, W2) Game 6: Ozarks (24-19, E2) vs. #8 Texas Lutheran (32-8-1, W1)
SATURDAY, MAY 5
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
Game8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 (Semifinal)
SUNDAY, MAY 6
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 (Championship)
Game 11 (if necessary): 30 minutes after Game 10
*ASC champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Baseball
Championship*
Notes: American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball national rankings listed; Season records updated after each game
Longest Hitting Streaks – Division III
2007 Season
Streak Name School
25 Frank Pfister Emory
23# Jose Fulgencio New Jersey City
22# Scott Matocha Texas Lutheran
20 Marcus Volz Mary Hardin-Baylor
19# John Mentzer Lebanon Valley
18 Jake Kaase Texas Lutheran
18 Steven Reinlie Mary Hardin-Baylor
18 Jack Walker Concordia (Ill.)
17 Rob Sanzillo Johns Hopkins
15 Brett Izzo Johns Hopkins
* Note: Coast Guard’s Chuck Arena carried a 32-game hitting streak into the 2007 season and had it snapped in the second game of the year, stopping it at 33.
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Saturday afternoon at TLU’s Katt-Isbel Field, TLU (32-8-1) rebounded from a 4-3 loss to the Choctaws (17-25) in the first game Saturday. The Mississippi College win forced a decisive game three and pushed the Bulldogs, the No. 8-ranked team in NCAA Division III, to the brink of elimination. TLU won the first game of the series, on Friday, by a count of 6-5.
TLU quickly fell behind 3-0 in the series finale before rallying for nine runs on eight hits in the bottom of the first inning. In the frame, TLU sent 14 batters to the plate and received RBI from Joseph Brade, Jason Foley, Josh Moreno, Brandon Opheim, Ryan Nokelby and Jake Kaase.
Scott Matocha registered a hit in both games and pushed his hitting streak to 22 games. Matocha is one game shy of tying the school record of 23, set by Jess Gingrich in 1999.
Logan Hull (6-2) relieved TLU starter Kyle Newman to start the fifth inning and worked the rest of the game. Hull allowed just three hits in his five innings of work to record the victory.
Conner Douglas (2-7) took the loss for the Choctaws. Douglass retired just one batter in the first.
TLU’s Nokelby had four RBI, three runs scored and three hits in the Bulldog victory. Kaase and Foley each added three RBI, and Opheim collected four hits, two runs scored, a stolen base and two RBI.
TLU recorded 21 hits and 16 RBI in the decisive win.
The Choctaws forced the third game behind a masterful pitching performance from left-hander Shawn Ashley, who struck out seven and walked just one. He worked around 10 Bulldog hits.
Ashley left the game with one out in the ninth and with a TLU run already across home plate. After Ryan Willis walked two batters to load the bases with one out, Nathan Stewart appeared in relief and coaxed Kaase into an inning-ending double play.
MC won the game in the bottom of the ninth. (The Choctaws were the home team in the series’ second game). A lead-off triple by Matthew Newman off TLU’s Austin Yager put the Choctaws in a great position to win. The next batter, Hugh Brown facing TLU closer Robert Conley, lifted a sacrifice fly ball to center field for the winning RBI.
Yager (7-1) took the loss. Daniel Besa started for TLU and went eight innings, allowing just two earned runs. The senior right-hander struck out five and walked two.
With the series win, the Bulldogs move to the championship round of the ASC Championship Tournament series for the third season in a row. The Bulldogs have won the last two championship tournaments to advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
TLU will face the University of the Ozarks in the second game Friday at the University of Texas-Dallas in Richardson, Texas. Texas-Dallas faces McMurry in the first game. Game times have yet to be announced. The winner of the tournament receives the ASC’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament.
Mississippi College 4, Texas Lutheran 3 (Apr 28, 2007 at Seguin, Texas) (Game 1)
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Texas Lutheran...... 000 010 101 - 3 10 1 (31-8-1)
Mississippi College. 100 010 011 - 4 10 3 (17-24)
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Pitchers: Texas Lutheran - Daniel Besa; Austin Yager(9); Robert Conley(9).
Mississippi College - Shawn Ashley; Ryan Willis(9); Nathan Stewart(9).
Win-Nathan Stewart(5-4) Loss-Austin Yager(7-1) T-2:50 A-475
Willis faced 2 batters in the 9th.
Yager faced 1 batter in the 9th.
MC forces third game of ASC Division Playoff Series.
Texas Lutheran 17, Mississippi College 6 (Apr 28, 2007 at Seguin, Texas) (Game 2)
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Mississippi College. 300 200 010 - 6 6 1 (17-25)
Texas Lutheran...... 940 100 03X - 17 21 1 (32-8-1)
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Pitchers: Mississippi College - Conner Douglas; Ryan Willis(1); Steven McDevitt(2);
Robby Ashley(7); Brannon Walls(8). Texas Lutheran - Kyle Newman; Logan Hull(5).
Win-Logan Hull(6-2) Loss-Conner Douglas(2-7) T-3:30 A-500
R. Ashley faced 4 batters in the 8th.
TLU advances to 4-team, double-elimination portion of the ASC Championship Tournament Series, to be played at the University of Texas-Dallas in Richardson, Texas.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
(Double-Elimination)
Friday-Sunday, May 4-5-6
Hosted by East Division #1 Seed, University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, Texas / UTD Baseball Complex
Times TBA
FRIDAY, MAY 4
Game 5: #21 Texas-Dallas (31-9, E1) vs. McMurry (27-15, W2) Game 6: Ozarks (24-19, E2) vs. #8 Texas Lutheran (32-8-1, W1)
SATURDAY, MAY 5
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
Game8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 (Semifinal)
SUNDAY, MAY 6
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 (Championship)
Game 11 (if necessary): 30 minutes after Game 10
*ASC champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Baseball
Championship*
Notes: American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball national rankings listed; Season records updated after each game
Longest Hitting Streaks – Division III
2007 Season
Streak Name School
25 Frank Pfister Emory
23# Jose Fulgencio New Jersey City
22# Scott Matocha Texas Lutheran
20 Marcus Volz Mary Hardin-Baylor
19# John Mentzer Lebanon Valley
18 Jake Kaase Texas Lutheran
18 Steven Reinlie Mary Hardin-Baylor
18 Jack Walker Concordia (Ill.)
17 Rob Sanzillo Johns Hopkins
15 Brett Izzo Johns Hopkins
* Note: Coast Guard’s Chuck Arena carried a 32-game hitting streak into the 2007 season and had it snapped in the second game of the year, stopping it at 33.
# - Current