Baseball 5/3/2014 4:37:00 PM

Bulldogs Clinch Tournament Berth With Sweep Of Cardinals

Game 1: William Jewell 3, Truman 0 || Box Score
Game 2: Truman 5, William Jewell 4 || Box Score
Game 3: Truman 6, William Jewell 5 || Box Score
Game 4, Truman 4, William Jewell 1 || Box Score

2014 Schedule || 2014 Season Stats || Truman Record: 24-26 (18-18 GLVC)

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Two big innings enabled the Truman Bulldogs to punch their ticket to their first conference postseason tournament in 13 years as Truman swept William Jewell (Mo.) 6-5 and 4-1 to take three of four from the Cardinals. The Bulldogs will await the release of the bracket for the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament on Sunday evening.

Truman scored five times after trailing William Jewell 4-1 in Sunday's opener to pull out the clinching 6-5 win. The Bulldogs then scored three times in the second inning to overcome another deficit to take the nightcap 4-1.

The weekend was marked by the single-season school records set by Paul Trenhaile and Corban Williams individually and team records in overall and conference wins in a season. Trenhaile finished the weekend with five hits to claim the hits record with 65 while Williams grabbed his 31st stolen base to take the steals record. As a team, the Bulldogs broke the 1999 school record of 21 wins and the 2011 mark in conference wins with 18.

It will be the first conference tournament, in the team's first season in the GLVC, since the 1999 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association berth. That season, the Bulldogs lost two of three to Pittsburg (Kan.) State.

Game 1 Recap: Drew Mitrisin shutdown the Bulldog offense allowing six hits in pitching the complete-game shutout in the opener. Mitrisin won his fifth of the season, throwing just over 100 pitches and struck out five.

William Jewell jumped on the Bulldogs early as Bryan Porting led off with a single then advanced on a bunt single aided by a throwing error and came in on a groundout.

Truman left a pair on in the bottom of the first while Jewell pushed across another run in the second, again aided by a fielding error.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with two outs but Corban Williams struck out swinging to end the threat.

Mitrisin allowed just three more hits the rest of the way while the Cardinals added an insurance run in the fifth after the Bulldogs committed their third error of the game.

Mark Roberts took the loss going the distance allowing seven hits and one earned run.

Game 2 Recap: Game two of the doubleheader started just as bleak as the first with the Cardinals scoring three times in the second inning to grab the early lead.

The Bulldogs finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning when Chris Zrostlik led off with a double and scored following a throwing error by the centerfielder after a single by Dave Gambino.

The Cardinals erased that run in the third as Clarke O'Dowd blasted his third home run of the season over the left field fence.

Zak Larkin doubled to right to begin the third and would score on Jarod Hahn's two-out double to left.

The Bulldogs inched closer in the fourth as Gambino led off with a double and went to third on a single through the left side by Blake Deaton. Mike Monfre hit into a double-play but Gambino scored to make it 4-3 William Jewell.

In the fifth, Corban Williams beat out an infield single then grabbed the top single-season stolen base spot with his 31st of the season to move into scoring position. He broke Brad Jenkins' 1996 Truman record of 30 stolen bases.

Paul Trenhaile followed and hit a sinking liner to left that got under the glove of the left field Sam Morman to tie the game with Trenhaile racing to third with his fourth career triple. It was the 64^th hits of the season for the junior breaking the Bulldog single-season record previously head by Mike Kubinski set in 1999.

Hahn broke the tie with an RBI single to left but was later erased on a caught stealing. Zrostlik hit the second triple of the inning but was left standing at third.

Cody Gardner worked around a hit batsmen in the sixth then hit the first batter he faced in the seventh. A sac bunt by Bryan Porting moved Luke Lucchetti into scoring position. Trenhaile appeared to have made an acrobatic catch in foul territory for the second out of the inning, but it was ruled that Bryan Rezin should get first base on catcher's interference.

The Cardinals tried to execute a double steal and were successful in moving Lucchetti to third while Rezin drew enough attention but remained at first.

Gardner then threw over to first trying to get Rezin leaning and in the process, Lucchetti broke for the plate and was gunned down by Trenhaile as he fired to Mike Monfre for the second out of the inning. Gardner closed the game in style with a strikeout of Sam Morman on a 3-2 pitch.

With the win, Truman eclipsed the 1999 season record of 21 victories while Gardner nabbed his team leading fifth win.

Game 3: With three teams vying for one spot in the postseason tournament, a lot was riding on Sunday's opener. The only team that could clinch the final spot was the Bulldogs with a win while William Jewell needed a sweep and Rockhurst (Mo.) needed wins playing at Quincy (Ill.).

A two-out single by Clarke O'Dowd put the Cardinals on the board in the first with Truman getting a sac fly from Corban Williams to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

William Jewell took control with a single run in the second and single runs in the fourth and fifth to go up 4-1 on the Bulldogs in the seven inning game.

Jarod Hahn singled on the first pitch to start Truman's sixth then Chris Zrostlik drew a walk on a full count. Dave Gambino then ripped a double to right scoring Hahn and advancing Zrostlik to third.

Following a pitching change, Blake Deaton singled up the middle to scoring Zrostlik and pinch runner T.J. Wood to knot the game at four apiece. After a strikeout, Will Nader singled to right center scoring Deaton to give the Bulldogs their first lead. Williams then doubled to left center to plate Nader in what proved to be the winning run.

Tyler Spencer, working in his third inning of relief of starter Alex Hoffman, gave up a one-out home run to Sam Morman but got O'Dowd and Vance Gorman to send Truman into the tournament. Spencer picked up his third win of the season while William Jewell's Blaze Carano was saddled with the loss.

Game 4: Will Nader capped off senior day with a clutch two-out, two-run single to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead after two while fellow seniors Tyler McCreary and Chris Allard finished off the Cardinals in the 4-1 victory.

William Jewell took a 1-0 lead again in the second inning but the Bulldogs responded right away. Truman loaded the bases with senior Mike Monfre tying the game on a sac fly followed by Nader's hit to left center to give the Bulldogs the lead.

McCreary (2-2) worked seven innings, allowing six hits and just the one unearned run while Allard pitched the final two innings to record his second save of the season and sixth career save to tie for third in Truman's all-time list.

Corban Williams added an insurance run in the eighth scoring Josh DeRouse from third with two outs.

--Want to stay up-to-date with what's going on with the Bulldogs?--
Support Truman Athletics || Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram || Subscribe to your favorite team's newsletters/releases || Receive text alerts of scores/big news

Print Friendly Version