LEWISTON, Idaho - The Vanguard baseball team's magical run fell short of a National Championship as St. Thomas (Fla.) bounced the Lions from the NAIA World Series. Vanguard (39-22) was the 10th seed in the tournament and the Bobcats move to 46-17 as the 9th seed in the World Series. The Lions ended on the wrong side of the 14-10 score in their third game at the final site.
Vanguard garnered 10 runs on 13 hits and St. Thomas scored 14 on the same number of hits. Both teams combined to use 14 pitchers and the first 10 of them left the game with no decision. This is an NAIA record for a single team (Vanguard) and for combined squads. Five home runs were jacked out with all but one coming for the Bobcats.
The scoring came early and often in this matchup of the last two teams in the World Series. St. Thomas kicked off the first game of the day with a three run inning in their first time at bat. Facing two strikes already, Nico Hernandez ripped a double to center field as the first Bobcat to enter the box. Three pitches later, Vanguard was trailing 2-0 after a homer to right field. Two batters later, St. Thomas hit another one over the outfield wall in right.
Vanguard knotted things at 3-3 in the top of the third frame. The first run came on a sacrifice fly by Brock Eissman (SO/San Clemente, CA) when the bases were juiced. David Stone (SR/Huntington Beach, CA) doubled down the left field line to score Brandon Sandoval (SO/Fallbrook, CA). Jose Rojas (JR/Anaheim, CA) scored the final run of the inning on a single by Brett Collins.
After digging themselves out of the deficit, the Blue and Gold once again found their backs up against the wall. The Bobcats scored another on a solo shot and a second on a throwing error by VU.
Keeping with the theme of exchanging runs, the Pride scored one run in the top of the fifth inning before St. Thomas blasted the scoreboard for an additional four runs. At the conclusion of the fifth frame, Vanguard trailing 9-4.
The comeback kids kept fighting as they had found themselves in this same position during the NAIA Opening Round against The Master's College. Taylor McKnight (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) kicked off the inning with a single and then scored on a double by Kevin Bettencourt (JR/Modesto, CA). Sandoval and Paul Keating (JR/Oceanside, CA) both drilled sacrifice flies to right field, bringing the Lions within a 9-7 margin.
Jerry Downs hit his second home run of the game to push St. Thomas' advantage to 10-7. But the Blue and Gold would not go away. A single by McKnight brought Stone home in the top of the 6th inning.
Holding steady in the bottom half of that frame, Vanguard once again tied the contest with two additional runs in the top of the eighth. Keating was walked and Eissman hit a first pitch home run, his ninth on the year.
In the end, the Bobcats bats were triumphant as they shot up four scores in the bottom of the inning to complete the victory. Two came on an RBI single up the middle and the final two came on an RBI walk and sacrifice fly.
Both squads went deep into their rotation as neither starter made it into the third inning. Vanguard starter Jordan Moak (SR/Sulphur, LA) allowed five hits and three earned in 1.1 innings on the mound. Marshall McKinnon (SR/Los Gatos, CA) allowed two scores and three hits during his five outs of play. Michael Jordan (JR/Murrieta, CA) succumbed four runs during his time on the hill. Sam Frakes (SR/Eagle Rock, CA) (0-3) ended up with the loss as three runs scored during his action.
Offensively, Collins, Stone, and McKnight were all 3-5 with four total RBI. Justin Davis (SR/Los Angeles, CA) batted .500 in the box with two hits and two scores. Eissman had a team high three RBI's.
Vanguard is eliminated due to its second loss at the NAIA World Series. This season, the Lions had the highest number of wins during Rob Pegg's tenure. The Blue and Gold reached the final site for only the second time in school history, doing so on the 30th anniversary of the first club to do it.
-GOLD PRIDE-
