SUNY Cortland Athletics

2011 NCAA DIVISION III BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Auburn (NY) Regional – Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Game one: #5 Eastern Connecticut State University 2, #4 The College at Brockport 0

Recap by Mark Coley

AUBURN, NY – Senior outfielder Shane Kingsley (Beacon Falls, CT/Woodland Regional) provided the lone runs of the game with a bases loaded two-run bloop single to centerfield as fifth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State came away with a 2-0 victory over fourth-seeded The College at Brockport in the opening game of the 2011 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Auburn (NY) Regional at Falcon Park, co-hosted by SUNY Cortland and the Auburn Doubledays.

The Warriors (33-11), making their32nd NCAA tournament appearance, will face the winner of today’s second game between top-seeded SUNY Cortland and eighth-seeded Mitchell College (CT) on Thursday, May 19th at 4:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles, appearing in their third NCAA tournament, will face the loser of the Cortland-Mitchell contest in Thursday’s opening game at 10:00 a.m. Both teams made the tournament field earning “Pool C” at-large berths.

The entire game was a pitcher’s dual between a pair of senior right-handers –Eastern Connecticut’s Jim Schult (Wappingers Falls/John Jay Senior) and Kyle Smith of Brockport (Sanborn/Niagara Wheatfield). Schult (10-1) went the distance with a five-hit shutout, giving up five hits and five walks while striking out 12 batters. Smith (8-2) picked up the hard-luck loss, tossing eight innings in yielding four hits, both Eastern Connecticut State runs and a walk while striking out six.

Smith entered the eighth inning with a two-hit shutout before the Warriors went on their game-winning rally. Senior first baseman Andrew Dewing (Swampscott, MA) opened the inning with a single to left field before sophomore third baseman Joe Balowski (Berlin, CT) reached on a fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt, advancing Dewing to second base when the throw to put him out was late. Eastern Connecticut State followed with a pair of ground outs (the first coming on a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third), before Kingsley’s go-ahead hit.

Brockport stranded ten runners on base, with its best scoring opportunities coming in the opening inning with runners on second and third with two outs (strikeout) and in the third with the bases loaded with one out (strikeout, fly out). Senior first baseman Max Zimmerman (East Amherst/Williamsville North) was the lone player for either team with multiple hits, going 2-for-4.