COLLEGE BASEBALL: Warriors fall in national semifinals
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — One dream season continued Thursday afternoon and another ended in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Small College World Series.
Spaulding College (Ky.) scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to oust Rochester College, 4-3, in the national semifinals at Robin Roberts Baseball Stadium.
Derek Ferch was hit by a pitch, stole second, reached third on an error and later scored on the second wild pitch of the ninth inning to give Spaulding the game-winning run and sent it to the national title game Thursday night against The Apprentice School.
Rochester College (26-24), which finished sixth a year ago and claimed third in the national tournament this season, scored a run in the top half of the first and added single runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.
Spaulding scored a run in the third and plated two more in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3.
Rochester grabbed the early lead when Ryan Chipka singled up the middle and Eric Ramirez followed that up with another single. Chipka reached third on a fielder’s choice and scored on an error.
The Warriors’ Carlos Zabaleta supplied an RBI single that plated Alex Hacias in the fourth. In the fifth, Ramirez and David Woodson laced back-to-back doubles with two out, but RC would not score again.
Spaulding scored its first run in the third. Eric Johnson had a bunt singled and later scored on Kyle Just’s RBI double.
Spaulding scored two more times in the sixth. Ira Land (Troy Athens) had an RBI fielder’s choice that drove home pinch runner Dalton Brow. Tyler Brown scored on another fielder’s choice.
Zach Stevenson went the distance for Spaulding on the mound, scattering eight hits and one walk against four strikeouts.
Rob Carter, Rochester College’s fourth pitcher on the day, pitched 2 1/3 innings and suffered the loss. He gave up two hits and three walks.
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