Posted 2:04 am Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Apaches Win Twice To Force Rematch With No. 1 Gloucester
By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer
Former Tyler Junior College baseball coach Jon Groth calls it Mike Carter magic.
Staff Writer
Former Tyler Junior College baseball coach Jon Groth calls it Mike Carter magic.
In a game reminiscent of TJC's dramatic comeback win against Joliet (Ill.) in 2007, the Apaches scored twice in the eighth inning and beat Herkimer (N.Y.), 9-8, Tuesday night to advance to the championship round of the NJCAA Division III World Series.
Down to their last four outs, the Apaches took the lead on Thomas Dougherty's two-out, two-RBI single just beyond the diving second baseman. Dougherty, who entered the tournament batting .274, went 4 for 5 with six RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the order.
“He has been squaring the ball up really well this whole tournament,” TJC head coach Doug Wren said. “Even coming into the tournament he was hitting the ball hard.”
Max Freeman ignited the rally with his second hit of the game. Herkimer's Andy Eggleston (3-4) struck out the next batter for the second out before issuing back-to-back walks to set up Dougherty's heroics.
Down to their last four outs, the Apaches took the lead on Thomas Dougherty's two-out, two-RBI single just beyond the diving second baseman. Dougherty, who entered the tournament batting .274, went 4 for 5 with six RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the order.
“He has been squaring the ball up really well this whole tournament,” TJC head coach Doug Wren said. “Even coming into the tournament he was hitting the ball hard.”
Max Freeman ignited the rally with his second hit of the game. Herkimer's Andy Eggleston (3-4) struck out the next batter for the second out before issuing back-to-back walks to set up Dougherty's heroics.
Pinch-hitter Conn McWilliams touched home with the go-ahead run and suddenly the Apaches needed to record just three outs to get the win. It wasn't easy.
Closer Jason Jester allowed the leadoff runner to reach base on an error, but the freshman from Hallsville erased the mistake by picking off pinch-runner Devin Warmack for the first out.
Jester hit the next batter but came back to get a strikeout and a pop out for his fourth save of the season.
“That was a great back-and-forth baseball game,” Wren said. “It's always a pleasure to be a part of those games.”
TJC (47-13), which surpassed the 2007 national championship team for most wins in program history, will play No. 1 Gloucester (N.J.) today at 7 p.m.
The Apaches have to beat Gloucester (42-2) twice in the championship round to win the title, since the Roadrunners are undefeated in the tournament.
Closer Jason Jester allowed the leadoff runner to reach base on an error, but the freshman from Hallsville erased the mistake by picking off pinch-runner Devin Warmack for the first out.
Jester hit the next batter but came back to get a strikeout and a pop out for his fourth save of the season.
“That was a great back-and-forth baseball game,” Wren said. “It's always a pleasure to be a part of those games.”
TJC (47-13), which surpassed the 2007 national championship team for most wins in program history, will play No. 1 Gloucester (N.J.) today at 7 p.m.
The Apaches have to beat Gloucester (42-2) twice in the championship round to win the title, since the Roadrunners are undefeated in the tournament.
Gloucester had the day off Tuesday after winning its first three games, including a 4-3 nail-biter over the Apaches in Saturday's opening round.
To survive in the loser's bracket, TJC had to win four games in three days.
The Apaches, who eliminated Manchester (Conn.) earlier Tuesday, trailed Herkimer 5-1 before taking their first lead with a two-out rally in the fifth.
Freeman drew a four-pitch walk, Cole Lehmann singled and Clayton Warren hit a titanic chopper toward the first baseman. The fielder did not charge the ball, and it took a bad hop past the bag to score Freeman.
After a walk to Jeff Pine, Dougherty recorded his third hit of the game to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs.
The lead didn't last long as Herkimer scored twice in its next at-bat.
Derek Miller (5-1) allowed three straight one-out singles to load the bases for Amar Lewis, who drove a pitch to right field for a sacrifice fly. With the next batter up, the Generals executed a double steal and when Lehmann threw down to second, Brandon Jones easily scored to put Herkimer up 7-6.
The Generals made it 8-6 in the top of the seventh on Lane Potter's two-out single. The rally began with a walk and an infield single.
TJC pulled within 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh on Ryan Willnow's sacrifice fly.
Amar Lewis doubled for Herkimer in the eighth, but was easily thrown out trying to leg out a triple.
Miller earned the win for the Apaches in his second tournament appearance out of the bullpen. The Robert E. Lee graduate allowed three runs in 4 2-3 innings.
To survive in the loser's bracket, TJC had to win four games in three days.
The Apaches, who eliminated Manchester (Conn.) earlier Tuesday, trailed Herkimer 5-1 before taking their first lead with a two-out rally in the fifth.
Freeman drew a four-pitch walk, Cole Lehmann singled and Clayton Warren hit a titanic chopper toward the first baseman. The fielder did not charge the ball, and it took a bad hop past the bag to score Freeman.
After a walk to Jeff Pine, Dougherty recorded his third hit of the game to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs.
The lead didn't last long as Herkimer scored twice in its next at-bat.
Derek Miller (5-1) allowed three straight one-out singles to load the bases for Amar Lewis, who drove a pitch to right field for a sacrifice fly. With the next batter up, the Generals executed a double steal and when Lehmann threw down to second, Brandon Jones easily scored to put Herkimer up 7-6.
The Generals made it 8-6 in the top of the seventh on Lane Potter's two-out single. The rally began with a walk and an infield single.
TJC pulled within 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh on Ryan Willnow's sacrifice fly.
Amar Lewis doubled for Herkimer in the eighth, but was easily thrown out trying to leg out a triple.
Miller earned the win for the Apaches in his second tournament appearance out of the bullpen. The Robert E. Lee graduate allowed three runs in 4 2-3 innings.
TYLER’S Thomas Dougherty (right) gets the force out on Herkimer’s Brandon Jones on Tuesday night.
Tyler 14, Manchester 4 (7)
Josh Salmon had four of TJC's seven doubles against Manchester to highlight the Apaches' 16-hit barrage. The freshman from Harleton also drove in three runs to up his tournament RBI total to nine.
The win was the Apaches' second straight in run-rule fashion as Manchester finished with a 2-2 mark in the tournament.
Freshman right-hander Jacob Yanker (3-1) gave TJC a solid start in his first appearance since April 19. The Lee graduate was two outs short of a complete game as he allowed four runs in 6 1-3 with three strikeouts and three walks.
The Apaches scored two unearned runs in the top of the first and never trailed in the game. Salmon stroked an opposite-field double deep into the gap to plate Willnow, and Salmon came around to score on Freeman's infield single combined with a throwing error.
Manchester cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first by executing a double steal, but the Apaches extended their lead to 5-1 in the second on Willnow's two-out, bases-loaded double high off the 18-foot fence in left.
TJC made it 6-1 in the third on doubles by Salmon and Lehmann, and McWilliams hammered his first home run of the season in the fifth for a 7-1 score.
The Apaches scored their last eight runs after two outs, including two in the sixth and five in the seventh. Eric Weiss had TJC's second three-run double of the game in the final inning.
The win was the Apaches' second straight in run-rule fashion as Manchester finished with a 2-2 mark in the tournament.
Freshman right-hander Jacob Yanker (3-1) gave TJC a solid start in his first appearance since April 19. The Lee graduate was two outs short of a complete game as he allowed four runs in 6 1-3 with three strikeouts and three walks.
The Apaches scored two unearned runs in the top of the first and never trailed in the game. Salmon stroked an opposite-field double deep into the gap to plate Willnow, and Salmon came around to score on Freeman's infield single combined with a throwing error.
Manchester cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first by executing a double steal, but the Apaches extended their lead to 5-1 in the second on Willnow's two-out, bases-loaded double high off the 18-foot fence in left.
TJC made it 6-1 in the third on doubles by Salmon and Lehmann, and McWilliams hammered his first home run of the season in the fifth for a 7-1 score.
The Apaches scored their last eight runs after two outs, including two in the sixth and five in the seventh. Eric Weiss had TJC's second three-run double of the game in the final inning.
