May 17, 2008

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Listen to Aaron Coyle's call of the Championship-clinching play

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Adrian baseball squad has lived for big moments all season long and they saved their biggest theatrics for Saturday afternoon as they rallied from 7-5 down in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-7 regional clinching win over Heidelberg. The Bulldogs trailed on two separate occasions during the course of the game but each time they summoned enough inside to snatch victory from a very talented Heidelberg squad.

The 'Berg opened up the scoring in the top of the second plating a pair of runs against starter Nick Sarkissian. Jason Lash and Matt Grassley hit back-to-back singles to start the inning and were moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Biagio Boytim. Sarkissian struck out Willie Brechun for the second out but catcher Steve Decker hit a 1-2 curveball into center for a pair of RBI's.

The Bulldogs cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the frame as senior Bobby Rickstad deposited a 2-1 offering by starter Branden Stucky over the left field wall just inside the foul pole to leadoff the inning.

The Student Princes put a three-spot on the board in the top of the third chasing Sarkissian in the process. The 'Berg did everything with two outs and were benefitted by a fielding error by junior Todd Meyers. Heidelberg scored three unearned runs and got an RBI triple from Cody James and RBI singles from Lash and Grassley. Nick Vandike replaced Sarkissian with Adrian down 5-1 and got the final out of the inning.

Adrian tied the game up 5-5 with four huge runs in the bottom of the fourth. Steve Vanderheyden, Brian Bilius and Alexander Younce all singled to start the rally as Younce's RBI single to left center made it 5-2. Joe D'Orazio advanced both runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt with one out and senior Brett Miskokomon lifted a sacrifice fly to left on a close play at the plate scoring Bilius to cut the lead to two runs. Meyers stepped up to atone for his mistake earlier in the game by hitting a game-tying, two-run homer just inside the foul pole down the left field line to knot things up. Stucky left the game and was replaced by Steve Calevro. Calevro got Rickstad to pop-up with two runners on to end any further damage.

It was Heidelberg's turn to regain the lead in the top of the fifth inning as James had an RBI groundout to first scoring L.B. Emrhein followed by Lash's RBI single up the middle scoring Gar Keen. The Bulldogs went to Alex Webster with one man on in the top of the sixth and he pitched the final four innings keeping his team in the game.

The `Berg had a serious threat in the top of the ninth loading the bases with one out but failed to score as Webster struck out Grassley and got Boytim to hit a foul pop-out to first. Andy Lowe entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and the Bulldogs had a rude welcome for Heidelberg's sidearm-throwing closer. Nate Sarkissian singled on a bloop to center and Cowart was hit by a pitch to get the crowd and dugout believing in a comeback. Rickstad grounded into a fielder's choice which put runners on the corners with one out. Vanderheyden smacked an RBI single up the middle scoring Sarkissian to bring AC within one at 7-6. Aaron Hakola pinch ran for Rickstad at second and came around to score the tying-run as Bilius drilled a double down the left field line. Younce stood at the plate with runners on second and third with one out and drove the ball into deep center as Vanderheyden tagged up and scored the game-winning run.

It is the first NCAA regional championship in not only school history but MIAA conference history. Bilius was named tournament MVP as the third baseman batted .474 (9-for-19) during the championship with five RBI's. Vanderheyden was named to the all-tournament team after batting .450 (9-for-20) with three runs scored and five RBI's. Rickstad was the third player named to the all-tournament, 11-member squad. He batted .300 (6-for-20) with four runs scored, one homer and three RBI's. He also pitched a gem going nine innings in the team's win over Rose-Hulman on Thursday night.

Adrian (34-11) advances to the Division III National Tournament and will face Johns Hopkins on Friday with a time to be determined. The Bulldogs will be playing at Time Warner Cable Field inside Fox Cities Stadium in the double-elimination tournament in Grand Chute, Wisconsin.

Notes: Adrian batted .294 (50-for-170) in their five games during the Mideast regional...They also had a team ERA of 3.40 in 45 innings with 21 strikeouts...Alex Webster threw a team-high 11.1 innings and allowed 10 hits, four walks and three earned runs with five strikeouts.