May 27, 2008

(Box Score)

LEWISTON, Idaho - Jonathan Herbig made his only hit count. Spring Arbor's right fielder drove in his team's fourth run in the bottom of the ninth and completed the comeback in the No. 7 Cougars 8-7 win over No. 5 Union (Ky.) College (48-18) this afternoon from the 52nd annual AVISTA-NAIA World Series at Harris Field. Down 7-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, SAU's Herbig delivered a walk-off base hit to right on a 1-1 pitch from losing pitcher Chaz Bargo.

Spring Arbor advances to the field of four teams in the World Series. It will play tomorrow (Wednesday) at either 3 p.m. PST or 7 p.m. and await its opponent to be announced later today. Union ends its season appearing in its first World Series and a 48-18 record.

The storyline early was Union starter Lance Doughtery, who logged into the ninth inning. He cruised through the first three innings giving up just a lead-off single before retiring nine straight after that. He ran into a stumbling block in the fourth. Three straight Spring Arbor hits and a walk led to four runs. The big blow came off the bat of Eric Vojtkofsky in the form of a double to left-center, which scored two.

Yet at that point, Spring Arbor still trailed 5-4 due to Union getting out to a hot start. The Bulldogs from the Appalachian Athletic Conference plated one in the second and four in the third. With two outs and the bases loaded, Brett McAlpin laced a single to center, which scored two runners. A third runner found home plate when the ball skipped under center-fielder Jon Schaible's glove and rolled to the wall.

The middle innings from the fifth to the ninth were a pitchers duel between Doughtery and Spring Arbor's Colin O'Connell. Each hurler allowed just one hit in three innings of work and moved the paced of the game along.

In the top of the ninth, the offense for both teams again got going. Matt Brady knocked in a pair with his double down the left-field line and staked Union to a comfortable 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Doughtery started the bottom of the ninth on the hill but was chased as the first three runners reached base. SAU's Jesse Bachman greeted reliever Bargo on the first pitch with a 2-RBI single. Down just one run, the next batter Jim Baker smacked a sacrifice fly to left plating Schaible.

Baker's sac fly set the stage for Herbig's heroics. Three batters later, the Noxon, Montana, native blooped the Bargo offering to score Bachman and give SAU one more day in the World Series.

Bachman finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI for the Cougars. Vojtkofsky went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Union's Joe Grinstead led the club with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish. He scored twice. Brady added a 2-for-4 day with two RBI.

Jeff Tervo picked up his first win of the season getting two outs in the ninth for Spring Arbor. Bargo falls to 1-6 on the hill giving up the game's winning run and three hits overall.