It was a pair of elimination games going on today at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, as the semifinals were set and the field was cut in half. One team continued their immaculate run through the postseason, while the other three teams remaining seem to be a bit of what was expected coming in to the tournament.
Wednesday, May 27th (Elimination Game)
Henderson State - 4
Angelo State - 1
Box Score
For the second time in this national final, the Rams of Angelo State couldn't solve the riddle that was the Henderson State Reddies. After falling to HSU in the opening game of the tournament, 4-0, the Rams were once again stifled by the Reddies pitching staff in a 4-1 loss.
The Rams actually picked up the opening run in this game, as a J.C. Snyder two-out RBI triple scored David Goggin, who led off the inning with a single.
Unfortunately for ASU, that would be the extent of their offense on this day. In the top of the third, Jordan Taylor hit a go-ahead two-run homer down the right field line to put HSU up 2-1, and the Reddies never looked back.
In the top of the fifth, a pair of RBI doubles, one by Lance Fields and one by Tadarious Hawkins, put the Reddies up 4-1, and in the bottom half of the inning, aforementioned hero Taylor took the mound in relief of Cody Jones and contributed 2.2 innings of shutout relief to pick up the victory and move to 3-2 on the year. Nick Vanthillo battled through four walks in two innings of relief to pick up his 13th save of the year.
All seven hits for the Reddies came from the top five hitters in the lineup, as Fields and Hawkins both went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while all four runs scored came from the top four in the lineup, as they all crossed the plate once. Taylor's home run was his only hit of the game, but it was enough to keep the dream going for the Reddies.
Henderson State has a tall task ahead of them. With one loss in the tournament so far, they head to the semifinals needing to defeat the top team in the country twice in as many days. The Reddies will face perennial powerhouse Tampa at noon on Thursday in the first of what they hope is two games.
Wednesday, May 27th (Elimination Game)
Cal Poly Pomona - 5
Mercyhurst - 1
Box Score
Perhaps the best offense of the week so far was on display again, as Cal Poly Pomona tallied 10 hits and scored runs in each of the first three innings of the game to eliminate Mercyhurst from their first national final appearance.
The Broncos got things started right from the get-go, as slugger Kyle Garlick hit a bomb down the left-field line to lead off the game. In the second inning, it was a Ryan Webberley lead-off double and a Nicholas Bruno RBI groundout that made it 2-0, and in the third inning, it was a two-out rally that resulted in another run for Pomona. Nick Cooksey hit a single in to right field, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single from Matt Munoz that made it 3-0.
Garlick was the main cog again for a run in the top of the fifth, tripling in Bruno to make it 4-0, and the scoring was capped off in the ninth as Webberley again doubled, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch. In between those two scores, Mercyhurst picked up their lone run of the game with a Jake Marinelli solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Chris Powell (8-2) was spectacular on the mound, throwing eight innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and one walk to go along with six strikeouts. Garlick finished the game 3-for-5 with a run and two RBI, while Webberley was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk, including his 15th and 16th doubles of the season. Garlick's homer was his 17th of the year.
Pomona advances to face unbeaten Catawba on Thursday at 4 p.m., and are in the same boat as Henderson State. Pomona will need to win tomorrow's game to force a Friday if-necessary contest.
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