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LEWISTON, Idaho - (Box Score)
Jake Stone's two-run single in the
bottom of the eighth inning put
Tennessee Wesleyan ahead for good and
Taylor Oldham followed with a three-run
home run to help power the Bulldogs past
Rogers State (Okla.) 10-6 on Friday
night for their first Avista NAIA World
Series title.
Tennessee Wesleyan, the No. 4 seed at
the tournament, finishes the season at
53-12. The Bulldogs were making their
third straight appearance in the
tournament. After going 0-2 the first
two years, Tennessee Wesleyan put on an
offensive show in rolling to the title
in the 10-team double-elimination
tournament at Harris Field.
Despite falling behind 6-2 after three
innings, the Bulldogs scored three runs
in the sixth and five more in the eighth
to claim the win. Tennessee Wesleyan
relief pitchers Corey Rhoney and Corey
Collins also held the Hillcats on three
hits over the final 6.1 innings.
Rogers State was making its first
appearance in the Series and finishes
the season at 49-16. The Hillcats were
the No. 9 seed in the tournament.
Rogers State was four outs away from
claiming the title with a 6-5 lead when
the Bulldogs broke loose with their big
inning. A single and an error put
runners on first and second with one out
when Anthony Boix hit into a fielder's
choice, which forced the baserunner out
at second. A walk loaded the bases and
Stone followed with his two-run single
to right to put Tennessee Wesleyan ahead
7-6.
Tyler Gardner was then called on to
pitch for Rogers State but Oldham took
his second pitch and parked it over the
fence in left-center field for his 22nd
home run of the season. It was the
Bulldogs' third home run of the game and
World Series record 17th of the
tournament. The previous team HR record
was 16 set by both Lewis-Clark State in
1985 and tied by Grand Canyon in 1987.
Tennessee Wesleyan finished the
tournament averaging 11.3 runs per game
and a .325 batting average, both easily
tops in the Series.
Rogers State, however, was the first one
out of the gate on Friday. The Hillcats
put up three runs in the first on Colin
Campbell's RBI sacrifice fly and Cody
Campbell's RBI double. The third run
came in on Cade McKewon's RBI ground
out.
Tennessee Wesleyan appeared to tie the
game in the bottom of the first but
instead had to settle for two runs.
After a pair of single, Oldham hit a
shot to left field that TV replays
showed clearly hit the second row of
signs for an apparent home run. The
left-field umpire, however, ruled the
ball hit the lower level of signs and
Oldham was held to a two-run double.
Rogers State made it 6-2 in the third
when a single and a walk set up a
two-run double by Randy Ramirez. Brandon
Bargas later scored Ramirez on an RBI
sacrifice fly.
The score stood until the bottom of the
sixth when tournament MVP Jordan Guida
led off with a home run and Drew Levi
followed with a solo home run. Guida set
a Series record with seven home runs and
also drove in a tournament-high 14 runs
and scored 11 times. Guida entered the
tournament with just five home runs on
the season.
Boix added an RBI groundout in the
inning to cut the lead to 6-5.
Oldham finished 2-for-5 with five RBI,
while Stone went 2-for-3 with two RBI
and two runs scored. Thomas Sicking also
had two hits for the Bulldogs.
Lance Rymel and Cody Campbell had two
hits apiece for Rogers State, while
Ramirez drove in two runs.
Collins, who pitched the final two
innings and allowed only one hit, picked
up the win to improve to 4-1. Rhoney
allowed just two hits and struck out
five in his 4.1 innings of work.
Brandon Bargas, who struck out 18 in a
2-1 victory over top-ranked Louisiana
Shreveport last Saturday, took the loss
when he allowed five runs (one earned)
in his 2.2 innings. Bargas finishes 7-4
on the season.
Click here to view
Tennessee Wesleyan's postgame
celebration.
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