It
is amazing what a team can achieve when destiny is on
its side.
Chapman
University had the tough task Tuesday of winning two games
against Christopher Newport University at Fox Cities Stadium
to claim the title at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship
Series.
For
the team of destiny from Chapman, beating previously unbeaten
Christopher Newport twice would be just another feat in
an amazing run to the national championship. After pounding
the Captains 15-2 in the first game Tuesday to force a
second championship game in the double-elimination tournament,
Chapman beat Christopher Newport 15-7 to win its first
national championship. The Panthers became the third team
ever, and the first since Montclair State University in
2000, to win two games on the final day to claim the title.
“I
don’t think anyone didn’t believe we couldn’t
pull this off today,” Chapman shortstop Brian Sanders
said.
First-year
Chapman head coach Tom Tereschuk had already seen his
team beat George Fox University twice on the final day
of the regional just to get to the Championship Series.
Then it was a superb performance in front of a record
and highly partisan University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh crowd
of 3,868 on Friday in a 6-1 win over the Titans. He then
witnessed a fabulous comeback Sunday night against Emory
University that saw the Panthers score four times, including
three runs with two outs, in the bottom of the ninth to
beat the Eagles 6-5 in an elimination game.
“We
had complete confidence from the start,” Tereschuk
said. “They never wavered in their faith, and they
kept after it.”
The
Panthers, which came into the Championship Series with
one of the best pitching staffs in the nation, did the
talking with their bats on Tuesday. In the two games,
Chapman (39-12) scored 30 runs and pounded out 40 hits,
all while getting solid pitching from a staff depleted
by five days of play. The Panthers had 24 hits, a season
high, in the title game.
“For
a team that supposedly pitches it pretty good, they hit
it pretty good too,” Christopher Newport head coach
John Harvell said.
After
getting routed in the first game, it appeared as though
the Captains had righted the ship. After falling behind
4-2, thanks to a four-run third inning by Chapman in which
Matt Graves belted a two-run double, Christopher Newport
rallied in the bottom half of the frame. Matt Turner led
off with a homer, and the Captains got two more hits in
the inning and took advantage of two walks to grab a 5-4
lead.
But
the hits just kept coming for Chapman. The Panthers scored
two more in the fourth and fifth, and Graves belted a
solo homer in the sixth to give Chapman a 9-7 lead heading
into the seventh.
“It’s
hard to play catch-up all the time,” Harvell said.
“(Chapman)
flat-out swung the bats today.”
The
Panthers really broke the game open with five runs in
the seventh. Chapman had five hits in the inning, including
a two-run single by Shaun Donahoe and a two-run double
by Sanders. The Panthers added another run in the eighth
to complete the scoring, and it was driven in on a double
by second baseman Alex Taylor, who was named the Most
Outstanding Player of the Championship Series.
“I
thought we were loose as we can be. I think we had the
advantage today. I think they were nervous,” Sanders
said.
“When
you play that bad and win (against Emory), it does something
for you. After that game, I didn’t think we were
going to lose.”
After
getting off to a rocky start, Chapman starter Scott Akamine
settled down in the second half of the game. He didn’t
allow a run in the final four innings and went the distance.
He allowed nine hits, struck out six and walked five.
The
first game of the day was tied 1-1 heading into the top
of the fifth when the Panthers sent 11 men to the plate
and exploded for eight runs to break it open. Chapman
then took any doubt out of the game with six runs in the
ninth.
Jeff
Green pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and
two runs. He struck out 11 and walked four. Max Gruber
led the offense, which tallied 16 hits, by going 4-for-5
with four RBI. Donahoe, Taylor, Sanders and Chris Van
Camp all had two hits for the Panthers.
“We
played in front of the largest crowd. We had the biggest
comeback. We won the championship,” Taylor said.
“I can’t think of any other team that could
have experienced the scope of the tournament (more).”
The
announced crowd of 1,484 on Tuesday pushed the Championship
Series attendance to 29,543, breaking the old record of
19,575 by nearly 10,000.
Written By Joe Vanden Acker
Photos
By Lehigh Photo
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