MORE COVERAGE: Kutztown seniors savor special triumph
CARY, N.C. (May 23, 2010) - Brett Wigder dropped a single over the head of the drawn in second baseman to give the Kutztown University baseball team a 2-1 win over Franklin Pierce in 12 innings in the opening round of the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championship on Sunday night. (Boxscore)
The first pitch was thrown at 1:03 p.m. and didn't end until Mike Kacelowicz crossed the plate at 10:14 p.m. After three delays - two from weather and one from technical difficulties, the Golden Bears (42-13) outlasted the Ravens.
Kacelowicz led off the 12th inning with a single down the third base line and advanced to second after Matt Kulbacki worked a walk. Head coach Chris Blum called upon pinch hitter Cody Montz to drop a sacrifice bunt. The Golden Bears caught a break when the first pitch went to the back stop and moved the runners up a base.
The Ravens (41-16-1) then loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Montz, bringing Wigder to the plate in an all to familiar situation. Last week at the regionals, Wigder on back-to-back games was at the plate with bases loaded and the game on the line.
"I was just trying to hit the ball to the outfield, get the runner in from third and get us out of there," said Wigder. "It was very relieving to come through, especially in this big of a game. It was a dream come true."
Mike Bucklin picked up the win with a scoreless frame in the top of the 12th. For the third time in four innings, the Ravens singled to start the inning. After moving up on a sacrifice bunt, Bucklin halted the threat with a pickoff at second base. He then struck out the final batter to swing some momentum into Kutztown's at bat.
The game began with a pitchers duel between Jonathan Grosse and Jose Macias until an hour long lightning delay before the beginning of the ninth ended their days on the mound.
Grosse held the Raven offense to just four hits and one run. He worked his way out of several jams with strikeouts and fanned a season-high nine batters.
"We always know we are going to get a good performance out of Big Jon," said Blum. "He may not have the 90 mile per hour fastball or the 12 to 6 curveball, but everytime he goes out he gets it done. We had all the confidence in the world sticking him out there for the first game.
"He was a little nervous in the pen. I went to him and said 'Look being here is the satisfying part, do your thing out there and you'll do fine. It looks like he took that to heart."
Macias was equally as dominant, surrendering just one run on three hits and struck out eight Golden Bears. He baffled the KU hitters all day with breaking balls nipping the corners of the strike zone mixed with a fierce fastball.
"I felt good, especially out there on such a big stage," said Grosse. "I wanted to just go out and throw my game, and I went out there and threw better than I normally do."
The Golden Bears got their run in the bottom of the second after Mike Dugan started the inning off with a sharply hit single up the middle. Kacelowicz followed with a single between short and third. Kulbacki dropped a sacrifice bunt, the first baseman came up throwing wide to third and Dugan came around to score.
The Ravens tied the game up in the fourth inning with a two out single by Derek Ingui to score Isaac Wenrich.
Each pitcher put up a series of donuts on the scoreboard leading up to the first delay. The Golden Bears Adam Maini pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four batters to keep KU in the game. Heath Wasylow and Rob Nicholas combined for two shutout innings before the rain came down.
After a four hour and five minute rain and lightning delay, Jordan Garcia surrendered a single to Wenrich up the middle. The Ravens kept to their game plan and moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Garcia escaped the jam with an inning ending double play.
The Golden Bears will take the field on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the winner of Sunday nights Southern Indiana-Minnesota State.
--KU--
