With their third regional championship in the
last 11 years tucked neatly in their pockets,
Anderson University had their sights set on their
first national championship.
Thanks to Greg
Cauble, the Ravens are one step closer to their
goal.
Cauble, the Mideast
Regional Most Valuable Player, pitched nine
innings while scattering eight hits and allowing
just one run as Anderson defeated Emory
University, 3-1, in an opening round contest of
the 2003 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship
Series Friday afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium.
The Ravens offense
did its part to back Cauble up. Trailing 1-0 in
the bottom of the third, catcher Kyle Rayl led
the inning off with a single to right off Emory
starter Matthew Palmer.
Rayl advanced to
second when shortstop Aaron Woolsey grounded
into a fielder’s choice. Third baseman Brent
Hodges singled to move Rayl to third, and John
Buckner’s single down the left field line put
the Ravens on the board.
Designated hitter
Troy Loyd hit a sacrifice fly to add a second
run, and Anderson had all the offense it would
need with Cauble on his game.
“We got a great
pitching performance from Cauble today,”
Anderson head coach Don Brandon said. “Plus we
had several key defensive plays. That’s our game
plan.”
The fifth-year
senior from Elwood, Ind., credited his success
to good old-fashioned relaxation.
“I was just singing
the songs between innings in my head,” Cauble
said. “I knew what the situation was, I’d make
the right pitches at the right time.
“Don’t press. Don’t
overthrow and let my defense have a chance to
work behind me, we’d be fine.”
The right-hander
improved his record to 10-3 while his Ravens
will take a 34-14 ledger into a second-round
matchup with defending champion Eastern
Connecticut State University Saturday at 4:30
p.m.
Hodges finished the
day with three hits and a pair of runs, while
first baseman Travis Davis collected a pair of
hits for Anderson.
Catcher Adam Schorr,
third baseman Andrew Pickney, and first baseman
Kyle Foster each collected a pair of hits for
the Eagles, who dropped to 36-14. Palmer pitched
6 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits with one
strikeout and a walk to pick up his sixth loss
of the season against four victories.
Due to the double elimination
format of the tournament, Emory will face
DeSales University in a losers’ bracket match up
Saturday morning at 10.
Written By Andrew
Wagner
Photos By Lehigh Photo
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