Photo by Adam Vogler
Emporia State third baseman Kevin Wempe (1) throws to first for the second out in the sixth inning of ESU's win against Concordia University in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament Thursday, May 15.
Caleb Williamson is quickly becoming Mr. Clutch for the Emporia State baseball team.
For the second time in two weeks, Williamson came through with a walkoff single to drive home the game-winning run for the Hornets, this time knocking a one-out, bases-loaded, two-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Hornets past Concordia-St. Paul, 3-2, in the opening round of the Central Regional tournament on Thursday at the Trusler Sports Compex.
On May 5 against Washburn, Williamson delivered a two-out RBI single to give ESU a 6-5 victory in 10 innings over the Ichabods.
“He’s come up with clutch hit after clutch hit for us,” ESU coach Bob Fornelli said, “and I’m proud of what Caleb’s doing for us.”
Williamson’s latest heroics came at a time when Emporia State had been struggling to get anything going against Concordia’s pitching, and the Hornets still needed a little help from the Golden Bears’ defense to even have a chance.
Photo by Adam Vogler
Emporia State center-fielder Conner Crumbliss (4) slides into second as the throw from first is offline in the fourth inning of ESU's win against Concordia University in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament Thursday, May 15. Crumbliss was left on base.
Concordia starter Blake DeVries was lights out in his seven innings of work, scattering just three hits and giving up no runs while striking out eight. Jake Schmidt came on in relief to start the eighth, and though he gave up a solo home run to Conner Crumbliss in the eighth that cut Concordia’s lead to 2-1, Schmidt still was just two outs away from closing out the game when the Hornets came through with their ninth-inning rally.
“I think those are two of the best pitchers we’ve seen all year — the way they threw it in the zone and competed,” Fornelli said. “Tip your hat to those guys.”
Things took a dramatic turn in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a pair of Concordia errors that kept Emporia State’s hopes alive just long enough for Williamson to deliver the game-winner on his only hit of the night.
After Schmidt struck out Keith Hernandez to lead off the inning, Anthony Dreiling and Kevin Wempe each reached on back-to-back Golden Bear errors that eventually put the game-winning run at second.
Dreiling made it safely to first after his slow roller back to the mound was mishandled by Schmidt for Concordia’s first error of the game. The next batter, Wempe, bunted down the third-base line and appeared to have the throw beaten, but it didn’t matter anyway, as CSP third baseman Chris Kimpton’s toss to first went wide.
Photo by Adam Vogler
Emporia State pitcher Tyler Applehans (28) only gave up one earned run in 7 1/3 innings during ESU's win against Concordia University in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament Thursday, May 15.
That moved pinch runner Kellen Lane to third, and in the confusion after the error, Wempe went to second after CSP left the bag unattended.
Schmidt intentionally walked Kevin Wolfe to load the bases in hopes of getting a game-ending double play, but Williamson made the move moot just two pitches later.
After showing bunt on the first pitch of his at-bat, Williamson came back and smacked a grounder just to the right of second base and into center field, driving home Lane and Wempe to give ESU the walkoff victory.
“I just tried to keep my hands inside. I got it on the barrel, but not perfect,” Williamson said. “All I had to do was get a base hit. I didn’t have to hit the ball real hard.
“I knew it was a hit. There wasn’t anybody there, and I knew Wempe would score.”
Nearly lost in the come-from-behind win was the fact that it was set up one inning earlier when reliever Aaron Burris helped get the Hornets out of a jam in the eighth inning when Concordia seemed poised to break the game wide open.
With the Hornets trailing 1-0 after the Golden Bears plated a run in the sixth, ESU starter Tyler Applehans gave up back-to-back one-out singles and then watched as an error by shortstop Andy Anderson helped Concordia load the bases. Applehans then hit Jake Waldman to drive in a run to make it 2-0, which brought Burris in from the bullpen.
Applehans went 7 1/3 innings and gave up four hits and two runs — only one earned — while walking none and striking out six.
Burris kept Concordia from a big inning, as he struck out Chris Herbert and got Brenden Furrow to fly out to end the inning.
“The only thing that was really going through my mind was, ‘I’ve got to get two outs before they score another run. I have to get out of this inning to give our team a chance to come back and get back in the ballgame and score some runs so we can win the game,’” Burris said. “I came in and gave our team a chance, and that’s how it came out. I’ll take it.”
Crumbliss homered to right in the bottom half of the frame to draw ESU to within 2-1, and after Burris pitched around a two-out single in the top of the ninth, Williamson and the Hornets came through in the final half inning.
Crumbliss and Wempe each went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead ESU offensively.
The Hornets (49-8) advance to play Wayne State at 3:30 p.m. today. Wayne State lost 7-4 to Central Missouri on Thursday.
“Staying out of the losers bracket is how you win a title,” Williamson said. “It doesn’t matter if its double elimination or what. You just have to stay out of the losers bracket.”
Central Regional
Emporia State 3, Concordia-St. Paul 2
Thursday at Trusler Sports Complex
Con.-St. Paul 000 001 010 — 2 5 2
Emporia State 000 000 012 — 3 6 2
W — Aaron Burris. L — Jake Schmidt.
E — CSP: Schmidt, Kimpton; ESU: Anderson, Applehans. LOB — CSP 6, ESU 7. HR — Crumbliss. HBP — CSP: Waldman; ESU: Hernandez. SH — CSP: Farni. SB — ESU: Majors, Shortell, Wempe.
Records — ESU 49-8, CSP 27-15.
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Posted by emporialifer (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulations to ESU! That was some great baseball to watch last night! Talk about being on the edge of our seats!
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