Tigers go 1-1, falling just short of title game
It is never easy winning a double elimination tournament in any sport, but especially college baseball where pitching can become so thin compared to opponents as a team tries to rally back. Georgetown College baseball found itself in this predicament and were able to win twice, advancing to the elimination finals. However, the Tigers (30-22) faced an opponent who was just using its third pitcher, while GC was heading into its fifth game.
"No excuses," said GC coach Micah Baumfeld. "I'm proud of the way this team came together this season, figured things out mid-conference play and really made an impressive run. Nothing to hang our heads about this season. We just ran into an offensive machine in the night cap Sunday. It happens."
Georgetown defeated Cumberland University, 7-2, to turn around and play University of the Cumberlands in Sunday's finale. The Patriots (46-8) scored eight in the fourth inning to all but seal an 11-1 win.
The Tigers had a promising start to the season, were 15-7 after game one of Mid-South Conference play. Then a 2-11 stretch had the team below .500 and wondering how to change things. Baumfeld tinkered with the line-up all throughout the stretch and found one that started to produce – offensively and defensively.
Georgetown finished the season on a 13-4 run, two of those loses coming in tournament in Bowling Green, Ky.
In 17 games, the Tigers outscored opponents 188-52, tallying 223 hits – 83 for extra bases – with the pitching staff collectively having a 2.67 ERA.
"It takes a lot of hard work and passion to not just let the season get away from you after the stretch we had in the middle of the year," Baumfeld said. "It was difficult to practice with the crazy weather patterns. None of the games were being played as scheduled. It is a tough thing mentally, but all our guys hung in there. No one quit on this season and that is why we were where we were today. I'm very proud of them."
In game one against the Phoenix, Georgetown scored four in the ninth to break open a 3-2 game. Antonio Monroy got it going with a one-out single. John Shattles then had to spark a two out rally. Tyler Wagner followed Shattles' single, with a single to score Monroy. An error on the play scored Shattles and with one on and two out the table was set for Sean Williams. He hit is sixth home run of the season to cap off the game scoring.
Cumberland was not done. The home team led off the bottom half of the ninth with a double. Then Breion Barron, who went the distance for the Tigers, struck out a batter. The senior hit the next batter and stuck out the next.
It was two on, two out and Hector Morales at the plate. He crushed a ball to deep center field, but Phillip Tomasulo tracked it the whole way. The senior made the catch and crashed into the wall to help preserve the GC win.
Monroy and Shattles had four of the 10 hits against Cumberlands in the night cap. However, it was a double by Tomasulo and an RBI single by Jake Purkins that scored Georgetown's only run in the top of the seventh.
It was a pitch by committee for the Tigers. Shamon Moss started and went three and a third. Day one, game one started Kyle Fieger pitched two-thirds of an inning to finish off the fourth. Chase Ambrose and Jordan Magers finished it off with two innings apiece.