Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CEDARVILLE, Ohio - A combination of solid pitching and timely hitting sparked Cedarville to a doubleheader sweep of Spring Arbor, 3-2 and 6-1, to win the NCCAA Midwest Region title for the third consecutive year.
The Yellow Jackets, 28-16 overall, return to the NCCAA Division I Championship at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio on May 15-18.
Following Friday's rainout, the entire best-of-three series was moved to Saturday. Cedarville won the opener when
Cam McWilliams beat out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to score pinch runner
Rob Nesteroff with the tie-breaking run.
Steve Cardwell ripped a one-out double in the final inning and was replaced by Nesteroff. He moved up to third when
Zach Huskey flied out to right field before crossing the plate on McWilliams' hit.
David Ledbetter was stellar on the mound. He allowed two unearned runs with 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.
Sean Larkin, 6-1, got the final out in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and earned the victory.
Ledbetter's finest hour came in the sixth when the Cougars had runners at first and third with no outs. He fielded a safety squeeze bunt to cut down a runner at the plate. Following a walk to load the bases, the junior righthander induced an inning-ending double play.
Each team had six hits.
Ryan Ledbetter doubled in a run and
Chris Fox added an RBI ground out.
Winning pitcher
Jordan Ammon, 5-1, went the distance in the second game. He allowed but three hits with six strikeouts.
Cedarville opened up a 3-0 lead after three innings to take early command.
David Lenhardt was 3-for-4 with three RBI's.
Logan Kasabian was 2-for-3 with a double and scored three times.
Kasabian's two hits give him 73 total to set a new single-season school record.
Alex Beelen established the old mark of 71 in 2012.