Box Score

Grand Chute, Wis. - Isaac Katz slipped under the tag in the ninth, and Trinity College’s (Conn.) shot at history slipped away.

Katz scored on a wild pitch on a strikeout to lift Johns Hopkins University (Md.) to a 4-3 victory Tuesday (May 27) over previously undefeated Trinity in the title game of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. The Blue Jays’ victory forced a second championship game at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Trinity entered the game at 44-0 and was attempting to be the first team to go undefeated and win a national title. Johns Hopkins (42-7) had lost to Trinity on Sunday (May 25) in a winner’s bracket game and needed to beat the Bantams twice on Tuesday to win the title.

The game was tied 3-3 heading into the ninth when Chris Huisman led off the inning with a double down the right field line. Katz then came in to run for Huisman and moved to third on Matt Benchener’s sacrifice bunt.

Trinity starter Tim Kiely struck out Nate Adelman on a pitch in the dirt, but the ball popped away from catcher Sean Killeen. Katz broke for home and just slid in under the tag of Kiely.

Johns Hopkins starter Chez Angeloni set down the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the victory. Angeloni allowed nine hits, struck out eight and walked one.

Kiely (11-1) took his first loss of the season after allowing nine hits, striking out 10 and walking one.

Trinity got things started in the bottom of the first. Ryan Piacentini started the rally with a one-out single, and Kent Graham delivered a double two batters later to give the Bantams a 1-0 lead.

Johns Hopkins came right back to tie it in the top of the second and then took the lead in the third.

Tony Margve reached on a fielder’s choice in the second and went to second on a walk. He then scored on Benchener’s two-out single to tie the game at 1-1.

Jonas Fester reached on an error to start the third and moved to second on a fielding error by Kiely. Todd Emr followed with a single to score Fester and give the Blue Jays a 2-1 edge. Kiely got a strikeout and popup to avoid further damage.

Trinity grabbed the lead back in its half of the fifth with a pair of runs. Jack Abbott and Piacentini had back-to-back one-out singles and both scored on Killeen’s double to give the Bantams a 3-2 lead.

That lead didn’t last long, as Johns Hopkins tied it in the top of the sixth.