BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman Jack Obert drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th to propel the Johnson & Wales (RI) University baseball team to a thrilling 12-11 extra-innings win over Middlebury University Friday afternoon in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament at Alumni Field on the camps of Bridgewater State University.
Highlights - Wildcats vs Panthers
Sophomore Trevor Juan collected five hits and four RBI – including one in the Wildcats three-run 11th inning – as JWU moved into the winner's bracket and will face Bridgewater State, which defeated No. 6 Endicott 4-2 earlier in the day. The game is set for 12 p.m. on Saturday with rain in the forecast. The win moved the Wildcats all-time record in the NCAA Tournament to 3-6.
Trailing by three with two down in the ninth, the Wildcats mounted a furious comeback to tie the game. Sophomore Owen Davis began the rally with a single and advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Following a walk to junior Thorin Sanchez-Guerra and a HBP by graduate student Griffin Snyder, Obert drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the first run of the frame. Juan followed with a two-run single to left that tied the game at nine.
In the 11th inning, freshman AJ Braid and Sanchez-Guerra reached base on a walk and HBP, respectively, to open the frame. And Snyder flied out to deep left, Obert singled to left-center to bring home Braid and stake JWU to a 10-9 lead. Juan followed with a singled to right that brought in Sanchez-Guerra to push the lead to 11-9 before Obert came around to score on a passed ball and make it 12-9.
The Panthers (27-12) got two back in their half of the frame on a two-run home run from sophomore Nathan Samii, which brought graduate student Kyle Cutler into the game for JWU to try and nail down the win. He got junior Beau Root to fly to right before catching senior Alec Ritch looking on a 3-2 pitch to seal the win.
Freshman Aidan Vining battled control issues all afternoon for the Wildcats as he walked 10 over 6.2 innings of work, allowing five hits and eight runs while striking out five. Sophomores Justin Markell and Garrett Fusco combined to toss 3.0+ innings in relief of Vining; the duo surrendered seven walks against just one hit with three runs allowed and four strikeouts. Fusco was credited with the win, making him 3-0 on the season.
Offensively, senior Miles Kelly and sophomore Owen Davis each picked up three hits while Obert and junior Jack Magane both drove in two runs. Junior EJ Leone picked up an RBI with a sac fly in the first.
