The Aurora University baseball team went from holding its breath to letting out a collective sigh of relief with one swing of the bat Saturday (May 29).

Aurora got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning and held on for a 7-6 win over Manchester College in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.

Aurora advances to face either George Fox University or Rowan University in an elimination game Sunday (May 30) at 3:30 p.m.

"I thought we had it," Manchester catcher Greg Hollenbaugh said. "I thought we were going to win. I really did."

Hollenbaugh brought Manchester back in the eighth inning. Trailing 7-2, Ryan Carr started a four-run rally with a double, and Brian Minix followed with a run-scoring double. After Brock Treesh singled to score Minix, Hollenbaugh belted a two-run homer to cut the lead to 7-6.

"We knew at some point we would have to break out. We've been doing it all year," Hollenbaugh said.

Manchester (35-12) started the ninth with lead-off batter Scott Tarnowski drawing a walk. After a fly out, Ryan Baird came on in relief and walked Jared Kurtz. Carr then singled to left field, and Tarnowski was held at third to load the bases. Minix then grounded the first pitch hard to Aurora shortstop Aaron Thor, who stepped on second and fired to first to complete the double play and end the game.

"Biggest pitch of his career. Biggest pitch he had to make," Aurora head coach Shaun Neitzel said of Baird, who picked up his first save of the season. "I'm proud of him."

Aurora second baseman Dan Gregory said the team's recent success gave him confidence they would make the play necessary to win the game.

"I know all the infielders thought we were going to do it," Gregory said. "The past six, seven games we've been able to come through."

It looked like there wouldn't be any dramatics, as Aurora starter Robbie Fontana was cruising. He went 7 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits, striking out eight and walking four to improve to 8-4 on the season.

Aurora (27-18) led 1-0 when it scored three times in the third. Gregory, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, tripled down the right field line to score a run. Jay Lavender followed with a run-scoring double, and Brian Brandenburg then belted a run-scoring triple to left center.

"We came out to ready to hit," Gregory said. "We didn't want to go home."

Manchester trimmed the lead to 4-2 in the fourth when Hollenbaugh delivered a two-run single. He finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI.

Aurora got one run back in the fourth when John Hopkins singled to score Chris Forbes, who had drawn a one-out walk. Aurora then touched Kurtz, who had come on in relief of Manchester starter Adam Augustine in the fifth, for two runs in the sixth. The key hit in the frame was Gregory's two-run single to put Aurora up 7-2.