Tyler wins DIII World Series in final year at tournament host
May 28, 2014
CHAMPIONSHIP HOME – BOX SCORE – PHOTOS – WATCH REPLAY
TYLER, Texas – The NJCAA DIII World Series will be moving out of Tyler, Texas, in 2015 but the Tyler Apaches closed out the final tournament at Mike Carter Field in style. Just past midnight Thursday morning, Tyler defeated Cumberland County (N.J.) 6-3 to win their program’s second NJCAA DIII baseball national championship.
Sophomore left fielder Cody Broussard and freshman shortstop Tim Hunter led the charge offensively for the Apaches. Broussard was 2-for-5 at the plate with a triple and two RBIs, while Hunter went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs of his own.
Entering the game with the bases loaded in the top of the third, Apaches pitcher Jarrett Dooley had a rough start to his night. The right-handed sophomore walked home Dukes sophomore right fielder Cody Stashak to go down 2-1. Dooley responded to the adversity however, going on to pitch 4 and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball. Giving up a solo home run in the top of the eighth, Dooley left the game after holding the Dukes to just one run on two hits.
In a ninth inning save situation, Tyler again turned to sophomore reliever Travis Johnson who recorded a save against Cumberland County in Monday’s semifinal victory. The right-hander shutdown the Dukes again, giving up one hit and striking out two to clinch the national title.
Sophomore right fielder Anthony Soriano was named World Series MVP after going 7-for-15 at the plate with four RBIs during the tournament. The Marucci Elite Hitter Award was presented to sophomore first baseman Eric Stegent who went 8-for-17 with four doubles and five RBIs for Tyler. They were joined by Dooley and freshman center fielder Zane Otten on the all-tournament team.
Cumberland County jumped on the board first as sophomore catcher Jose Martinez drove in sophomore shortstop Anthony Lopez to give the Dukes a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, rain began to fall and the game was delayed. Two hours and 22 minutes later, the tarp was removed and play resumed.
It wouldn’t take long for the Apaches to respond as Soriano ripped a base hit to score Otten, to tying the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. Cumberland regained the lead with Stashak’s bases loaded walk to go up 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, Tyler knotted the game up again with a triple by Broussard – scoring Hunter for a 2-2 tie. A fielding error by Cumberland’s Lopez scored Broussard from third to give the Apaches their first lead of the game, 3-2.
Hunter added to Tyler’s lead in the fourth inning with a double to score sophomore catcher Connor Wrye from first. The Apaches pushed that advantage to 5-2 in the sixth with a two-out single, scoring freshman designated hitter Collin Lawrence. Broussard followed up with another single to score Lawrence, giving Tyler a 6-2 lead going to the seventh.
The Dukes cut their deficit to 6-3 in the top of the eighth inning when sophomore center fielder Jordan Glover hit a solo home run. In the ninth however, Johnson closed out the game for the Apaches.
Tyler’s victory in the title game improved their overall record for the year to 42-17 – totaling their most wins since 2010. Cumberland County dropped to 49-10 with the loss but finished with one of the best seasons in the program’s history.