Spring Arbor wins offensive display 11-10 against
Azusa Pacific
APU scores three in the ninth as rally comes up short
LEWISTON, Idaho
- No. 7 Spring Arbor (Mich.) University scored early and late
breaking a 6-6 tie in the seventh and holding on for an 11-10
victory over No. 4 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) University at the 2008
AVISTA-NAIA World Series from Harris Field. The Cougars of
Spring Arbor (39-8) plated five runs in the first and then
spread an 8-7 lead into a seemingly-comfortable 11-7 edge with
three tallies in the ninth. That lead was in jeopardy until Joe
Meyers, the third of three SAU pitchers, struck out Carlos
Maddox to end the game and earn his third victory of the season.
That four-run, ninth-inning lead shrunk to just one run after
Azusa sent seven batters to the plate and had the tying run at
first base. Drew Evans rapped a two-run single to bring the
Cougars of APU to within one run. However, Meyers recorded his
fourth strikeout and got out of a jam on a day when pitchers did
not shine.
Pitchers struggled throughout the game for both teams as there
was a combined 30 base hits, including 11 extra base hits.
Overall, there were four hits batsmen, four walks and two wild
pitches.
SAU sent nine men to the plate scoring five first-inning runs on
three hits. The Cougars took advantage of one hits batsmen, one
walk, one passed ball and two wild pitches. Jonathan Herbig and
Lucas Rider each drove in two runs with a base hit in the
inning.
Azusa started to get going offensively with a pair of runs in
the second thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Chris
Feicht, his second of the year. APU added four more runs in the
next three innings to tie up the count at 6-6 in the fifth.
Jim Baker, Spring Arbor's top hitter, blasted a two-run bomb to
give the Cougars an 8-6 lead in the top of the seventh inning.
It was his team-high ninth round tripper of the year. APU got
one back in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs, Kirk
Nieuwenhuis cleared the center-field wall with his 15th
homer of the year.
Jason Robinson, pinch-running for Eric Vojtkotsky, scored the
game's winning run on a Herbig single. That hit was Herbig's
third of the game and third RBI. The third run of the SAU inning
was needed because of Azusa's late offense.
Myers went 4.2 innings and struck out four without allowing a
walk. He gave up four runs on six hits. Garrett Hodges was hit
with the loss on the hill. He tossed 6.0 innings and gave up
three runs on four hits.
In addition to Herbig's offense for Spring Arbor, three other
players posted two hits. Baker was one of them with two RBI and
two runs scored. Azusa's Grant Beyer led a trio of Cougars with
three hits apiece. He went 3-for-3 and scored twice. Drew Evans
drove in four runs and went 2-for-4.
This was the first game between these two clubs in World Series
play.
Spring Arbor, who made it to the 2007 National Championship
contest, advances to play the loser of No.1 Lee (Tenn.) and No.
5 Union (Ky.) on Tuesday at 11 a.m. PST. Azusa ends its season
at 46-12 overall.
