York, Pa. (May 14, 2015) – Senior
Brok Martin delivered a bases-clearing double in the top of the ninth to put Alvernia University ahead and
Kevin Becker-Menditto nailed down his Division III career record setting 47th save as the #2 Crusaders (34-12) defeated #6 Misericordia University (30-12) 6-3 early Friday morning in game eight of the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Baseball Regional at Santander Stadium.
Trailing 3-1 entering the ninth, the Crusaders loaded the bases with two hits and an error before Martin tripled into the right field corner.
Becker-Menditto got a grounder to short for the first out of the ninth, a sliding catch from
Joe Iacobellis in left for the second out, then fittingly, a ground ball to Martin at second to close the game.
Alvernia advances to the winners bracket final and will face #4 Salisbury on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Misericordia drops to the losers bracket and will face top-seeded Kean Friday at 1:15.
Neither starter figured in the decision, but both were dealing early.
Misericordia starter Cory Vogeli came out with a strong second inning striking out the side on three straight swinging strikeouts. Alvernia starter
Matt Backlund answered striking out the side in the bottom of the second getting punchouts on the second and third.
Vogeli came back out and struck out the first two in the top of the third before a loud single back through the box off the bat of
Richie Ricciardi broke a string of eight straight Ks for the two teams.
Misericordia broke through for the first runs of the game scoring three in the home half of the fourth. Alee Iurato reached on an error with one out and a pitch later D.J. Navoczynski lined a shot off Backland's arm to put two on with one out.
Steve Cuccio singled down the line in left to drive in the first run of the game, and Nick Hair sliced a single to left to load the bases. Miles Westrich executed the squeeze bunt with the bases loaded to plate the second run, and Al Reda singled to right to drive in the third.
With runners at the corners and two out, Reda took off from first and the throw from Bertolotti was cut off by Martin who fired home to get Hair trying to steal home.
The Crusaders mounted a threat in the top of the fifth with back-to-back one-out walks to Bertolotti and
Vinny Case. Vogeli got Ricciardi on a 3-2 pitch and Martin grounded into the force play at third to end the inning.
Alvernia got on the board in the sixth against Vogeli. Burns ripped a double into the left field corner with one out and came around when
Cameron Coons blooped a single into right. Bertolotti walked with two out to load the bases and Case fouled off three straight 2-strike pitches before striking out.
Garrett Pelko relieved Vogeli after six and the Crusaders went in order in the seventh and eighth.
Dan George opened the ninth with a double to the gap in right center and Bertolotti singled to left to put runners on first and second. Case fouled off a 1-2 pitch before delivering a single to center to drive in pinch runner
Mike Cunningham.
Ricciardi laid down a bunt to move the runners over, but the second baseman dropped the throw at first allowing the Crusaders to load the bases with no one out.
Martin worked the count to 3-1 before driving an outside pitch into the right field corner to clear the bases.
Ben Sawyer followed with a bouncer over the mound that plated Martin.
The Crusaders are making their second appearance in the winners bracket final over the past five years. They defeated Misericordia in 2011 to advance to the championship series against Kean.
#2 Alvernia 6, #6 Misericordia 3
