Wolfpack wins Southeast Super Regional
St. CATHARINE, Ky. –The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves added
another chapter to their remarkable Cinderella story in the championship
finals of the NJCAA Southeast Super Regional. With two batters retired and
just one strike away from defeat, the Wolves rallied for 3 runs in the top
of the ninth inning and escaped the St. Catharine Patriots 8-7 in a
mind-boggling finish at Edelon-Heydon Park.
The Wolves (30-26-1)
advance to the NJCAA Division II World
Series at Millington, Tenn. Their first game is Saturday afternoon at 3
p.m., in USA Stadium. This is Coach Keith Case’s second trip to the World
Series, the last time in 2000.
The Patriots (38-10),
heart-broken by the last-inning defeat,
also lost in the regional finals last year.
Co-Lin catcher Matthew
Schexnayder provided the game-winning RBI after teammate Garrett Jones had
overcome a 2-out, 2-strike count to drive in 2 runs and tie the score.
Patrick Williams was hit by a pitch and Jody Britt drew a walk off relief
pitcher Josh Lueke. That set he stage for Jones who delivered a 2-RBI single
up the middle.
“This is everybody’s
baseball dream,” said Schexnayder, a
freshman from Houma, La. “There’s no better feeling. We are all fighters on
this team. We may not have the most talent but we have the most heart.”
St. Catharine had broken
a 5-5 deadlock with 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Patriots began
celebrating their apparent journey
to the World Series.
Instead, the Wolves bounced back and regained the lead. Pitcher Ryan
Belanger hurled the bottom of the ninth, after striking out 17 in a Friday
win over Itawamba. He fanned 2 of the 3 batters he faced.
“Ryan would have whipped
anybody to get on the mound in the ninth,” said Case. “He’s a competitor.”
Belanger said he was praying for the opportunity. “I said a prayer, ‘Please
God, give me one more run (lead) and I’ll close the door.’”
In a tight, see-saw
battle, the Wolves took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Xavier Qualls
singled and Jody Britt followed with a 2-run homer over the left field fence
off Patriot starter Watson Jones.
The Pats came back strong
with 3 runs in the bottom of the
second off Co-Lin starter Scotty Smith. The big blow was a 2-run double by
Josh Beale.
In the third, Britt
delivered an RBI single past shortstop to tie the score at 3-3. The Wolves
went up 4-3 when relief pitcher Brad Warner issued a bases-loaded walk,
scoring Smith who had singled. The hosts tied it again in the fourth at 4-4.
Co-Lin regained the lead
at 5-4 in the sixth as Logan scored off
an error. Still in the sixth, a grounder by Shane Simkins sent Beale home
with the tying run.
“It was a boxing match,”
said St. Catharine coach Luther Bramlett, wiping a tear from his cheek after
the game. “Both teams battled. We were one strike away from winning.” “I
knew we would have trouble with Belanger if he ever got on the mound,” added
Bramlett. “He’s a warrior.”
Smith was replaced in the
eighth by Derek Thompson who had won
Thursday’s opener against Lenoir (N.C). The Patriots rallied for 2 runs with
2 away to take the lead.
“I had a really off day,”
said Smith “but I tried to get us through to our bullpen. I knew if we could
get Belanger out there, he would pull us through.”
Co-Lin first baseman Ben
Sandifer sat in the third base dugout
after the game, savoring the triumph. He had difficulty describing the
feelings.
“I’m speechless,” said
Sandifer. “I knew we could come back.
Garrett stepped up for us.”
Jones said he was happy
to furnish the 2-run, 2-out single in
the ninth. “I was just trying to put the bat on the ball. Luckily, it went
through the middle. I had tons of adrenaline flowing.”
“Nobody thought we would
ever get this far,” added Jones.
Logan agreed. “This is
unreal. It hasn’t sunk in yet. Coming
back from two outs and two strikes. You never know.”
Britt who had 3 hits and
3 RBIs, agreed. “It’s unreal. It’s hard
to believe we did it.”