Matt Cooney Catcher E. Connecticut State Univ.

Chris Pecora Outfield N.C. Wesleyan College

Matt Smith Outfield N.C. Wesleyan College

Greg Sullivan Outfield E. Connecticut State Univ.

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Bill Holowaty gave his team some words to live by early in the season.

"We might lose but we'll never quit," the veteran Eastern Connecticut State University head coach had told his squad.

The Warriors embraced those words Saturday in an elimination game at the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium. Eastern Connecticut State University rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat North Carolina Wesleyan College, 9-8.

"They keep surprising me," Holowaty said.

Eastern Connecticut State University (36-19) advances to play either Montclair State University (N.J.) or Marietta College (Ohio) in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. North Carolina Wesleyan College ends its season with a 31-19 record.

The Battling Bishops grabbed the lead in the top of the ninth against Eastern Connecticut State University reliever Matt Cremins. A single, walk and hit batsman loaded the bases with two outs, and the Warriors looked like they would get out of the inning undamaged when Nathan West grounded to shortstop Zack Thomas. The ball skidded under his glove and Ryan Snyder and pinch-runner Jeremy Tucker scored to put Wesleyan up 8-6.

The drama was far from over when Chris DeSantis walked to open the ninth for Eastern Connecticut State University. That prompted North Carolina Wesleyan College head coach Charlie Long to bring in closer Cale Strickland, but he allowed a single to Shawn Gilblair and then hit Thomas.

"It's been a rollercoaster for him," Long said of Strickland. "Sometimes he gets it done and sometimes he doesn't."

Zach Mehrbach stepped to the plate, and he doubled down the right field line to score DeSantis and pinch-runner Sean Kukucka and tie the game at 8-8.

"I didn't think it was the greatest swing, but I got lucky. Another foot and it's foul," Mehrbach said.

"After (Strickland) threw that first fastball for a strike, I was sitting on anything hard on the plate."

The Battling Bishops then intentionally walked Matt Cooney, who went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, to load the bases and set up a force play at the plate. Strickland got Eric O'Toole to fly out and the runners held for the first out of the inning. Greg Sullivan then executed a squeeze to score Thomas with the winning run.

"I was just looking to get the squeeze down," said Sullivan, who went 3-for-6 in the contest.

"That was a heckuva bunt," said Holowaty, who credited associate head coach Bob Wojick with making that decisive call. "I have a hard time squeezing with the bases loaded because of the force play at home."

The Battling Bishops were true to their nickname by posting three rallies in the final three innings. North Carolina Wesleyan College trailed 4-1 headed into the top of the seventh when they put together four hits, including run-scoring singles from Chris Pecora and Matt Smith, to score three times and chase Gilblair, who stayed in the game as the designated hitter.

"I told our team you could have turned it in at 4-1, but that's not what we've done," Long said.

Eastern Connecticut State University came right back to score twice in the bottom of the seventh when Cooney delivered a two-run single to give the Warriors a 6-4 lead.

The see-saw continued in the top of the eighth when Eastern Connecticut State University reliever Sam Iverson walked the first two batters of the inning. Iverson gave way to Alex Narus, but he gave up a run-scoring single to West and Luke Williford squeezed in another run to tie the game at 6-6.

By Joe Vanden Acker
Lawrence University Sports Information Director

Photography by Lehigh Photo