Travis Anthoine Outfield Wheaton College

Louie Bernardini Pitcher Wheaton College

Chuck Brehm Outfield Univ. of Wis.-Stevens Point

Scott Guillerault Third Base Wheaton College

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The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, but Wheaton College (Mass.) escaped with a 5-4 victory to survive another day. Thus the Lyons advance through the loser's bracket of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship at Fox Cities Stadium.

Trailing 5-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point senior Chuck Brehm made the last at bat of his collegiate career a memorable one by blasting a two-run homer that carried over the wall in left-center field. A walk followed by a run-scoring single by Tim Schlosser closed the gap to one run, but that was as far as the magic that helped carry the Pointers through the postseason would go.

"I knew our guys were not going to give in," said University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom. "To get to where we had the winning run at the plate says a lot about our character, says a lot about our toughness, and the degree to which our guys believe in one another and the degree to which they believe in our team. That's all you can ask for as a coach."

The comeback attempt was remarkable considering the fact that it came against one of the top closer's in the country, Jamie Baker, who was among the national leaders in saves heading into the finals. But Baker's shaky outing didn't make Wheaton College head coach Eric Podbelski second guess his decision to pull Lyons' starter Louie Bernardini who was phenomenal through 8.1 innings.

"It's just the move we decided to make and it worked out even though it might have been a little scary," said Podbelski. "I wouldn't rather have anyone up there to get the last out of the game than Jamie Baker."

Bernardini, who didn't allow a hit through the first four innings Sunday, got into a bases loaded jam with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. However, he was able to get Tim Schlosser to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and fanned the next batter to get out of the inning with a 2-1 lead.

"That hurt us," said Bloom. "It took us out of the inning when we thought we really had something good going. As much as we battled, [Bernardini] made the pitches he needed to make in tough situations."

The Pointers then had a costly mistake on defense in the top of the sixth inning. The Lyons attempted a squeeze bunt with runners at second and third base, but Brandon Leonard failed to get the bunt down on an outside pitch leaving Adam Laplante alienated halfway down the third baseline.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point catcher Doug Coe chased Laplante back towards the base, but Leonard was able to get back safely and Wheaton went on to score three runs in the inning initiated by a two-run single by Travis Anthoine.

"We had executed against a squeeze play and had an out recorded, but didn't get it," said Bloom. "We work on those things so when those things occur in big games like this we're able to execute and make the plays. That was a big turning point, because it allowed them to get away with making a crucial mistake and actually get rewarded for it by scoring runs. "

Anthoine, who accounted for four of his team's five runs, was 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. Scott Guillernault also boasted a three-hit day at the plate.

Podbelski, whose team improved to 10-1 in one-run games in 2006, explained that his team seems to rise up in tight games by being able to move runners into scoring position through productive outs and avoiding the big inning-ending play unlike what had devastated the Pointers. Bernardini took care of the rest.

"The game plan was just to stay loose," said Bernardini. "That's the key for me. If I start to tighten up then I'll hit guys or I'll walk guys and you saw a little bit of that in the middle of their order."

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point starting pitcher Travis Kempf also had a strong outing. Kempf gave up nine hits and five earned runs, but had seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings on the hill.

"He didn't deserve the fate that he had," Bloom said of Kempf. "[Wheaton] just got it done when it mattered. That's ultimately what determines winners or losers this time of the year."

The loss eliminates the Pointers from their sixth Championship appearance and first since 1997. Meanwhile, Wheaton College will attempt to improve on their school-record 40-win season. The Lyons will play the winner of Montclair State University (N.J.) versus Eastern Connecticut State University on Monday, May 29. First pitch is slated for noon.

By Luke LeNoble
Edgewood College Sports Information Director

Photography by Lehigh Photo