May 23, 2008

(Box Score)

LEWISTON, Idaho - No. 7 Spring Arbor (Mich.) University (38-7) won the opening game of the 2008 AVISTA-NAIA World Series with a 7-5 defeat over No. 10 Jamestown (N.D.) College (32-19) from Harris Field in front of 1,430 fans. The Cougars' starting pitcher Jesse Bachman went seven innings and earned his third straight win of the year.

Spring Arbor displayed the offense early pushing one across in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead heading into the third. Bachman, who also served as the Cougar's designated hitter, notched the first base hit of the World Series. His pinch-runner, Jason Robinson, would later come around to score on Eric Vojtkofsky's RBI single to plate the game's first run in the top of the first.

Down 2-0, Jamestown tied the scored up on a double down the left-field line off the bat of Jordan Dusanj. Danny White gave the Jimmies a short-lived lead scoring on a Miles Johnson grounder with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. That lead lasted one-half inning as the Cougars came back in the fifth.

Down 3-2, SAU countered with two runs in the top of the fifth frame taking the lead for good on a run-producing single by Vojtkofsky. With a 5-3 lead, the Cougars added two insurance runs in the eighth inning. Those two runs proved the difference as the Jimmies plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Johnson recorded an RBI single before Ben Cairns hit a sacrifice fly in the inning.

JC went down in order in the ninth as SAU won its fourth in the last six World Series games.

Jamestown was led in hitting by rightfielder Cam McLachlan as he went 4-for-5 with one double and one run scored. Starting pitcher Graham Campbell was hit with the loss as he fell to 9-5 on the year. He went 6.2 innings allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits.

Bachman, who improved to 9-2 on the mound allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits, went 3-for-4 at the plate. Fellow teammate and infielder Vojtkofsky finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Two other Cougars knocked two base hits. Spring Arbor's Jim Baker, who leads the NAIA in hitting (.528) coming into the contest, went 0-for-3 in the contest. It was the first time in five games Baker went without a hit as he entered on a 9-for-14 hitting tear.

There were a combined five stolen bases in the contest. The Jimmies, who came into the game ranked in the Top 30 in the NAIA in stolen bases, swiped four this game.

Spring Arbor advances to play No. 2 Oklahoma City (55-10) University tomorrow at 3 p.m. PST. Jamestown, who is searching for its first World Series win, takes on the loser of No. 6 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) University and No. 3 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) College on Saturday at 12 p.m.