Game Five: #2 Concordia 9, #3 Oswego State 7

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The championship round pairing in the NCAADivision III baseball Bridgewater Regional has been set.

Second-seeded Concordia University of Texas stunned third-seeded Oswego State of New York with a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to survive an elimination game, 9-7, at Alumni Park.

The nationally ranked Tornados also defeated Oswego State, 7-6,with a walk-off home run in the opening round Friday.

Pinch hitter Jake Townsend (League City, Texas) hit the first pitch he saw from reliever Owen Hoyt (Endicott, N.Y.) over the fence in left to send Concordia into the final round.

The Tornados (35-12) will play top-seeded Endicott College (40-4) at 11 a.m. Sunday. Concordia must defeat the Gulls twice to win the double-elimination tourney.

Endicott defeated Concordia, 11-0, earlier Saturday.

The Gulls are 2-0 in the regional after beating host BSU on Friday and Concordia on Saturday. Endicott has won 32 of the last 33 games and is ranked third in the American Baseball Coaches Association poll and fourth in the D3baseball.com poll.

Concordia was down to its last out and behind, 7-6, when Townsend hit his first homer in two seasons at Concordia. It was Townsend's first at-bat in three games in the regional.

With one out, senior Kalen Clark (Coppell, Texas) reached on a throwing error -- the sixth miscue by Oswego State -- and junior Colby Christian (Porter, Texas) drew a walk.

After a fielder's choice by senior Eric Garcia (Grand Prairie, Texas), Townsend hit the dramatic homer to end the game.

The Tornados are ranked No. 19 in the ABCA poll and No. 24 in the D3baseball.com poll.

Concordia had faced a 6-2 deficit before scoring two in the seventh, two in the eighth and three in the ninth.

The Tornados had held a 1-0 lead after two innings as it scored an unearned run on an infield error in the second.

Oswego State tied it in the top of the third on an RBI single through the left side by junior Emil Sander (Skaneateles, N.Y.), scoring junior Patrick May (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), who had singled.

The Tornados went back on top, 2-1, in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Christian.

The Lakers pulled in front, 5-2, in the sixth.

Junior Trey McGowan (Bluepoint, N.Y.) walked and Sander had an infield hit. McGowan scored on a single up the middle by senior Tishawn Featherstone (Port Jervis, N.Y.), and an error on the play allowed Sander to score.

After sophomore Daniel Winchester (New York City, N.Y.) walked, sophomore TJ Harrington (Seaford, N.Y.) hit a two-run double to left-center.

The lead went to 6-2 in the seventh when Featherstone sacrifice bunt scored May, who had singled.

Concordia moved within 6-4 in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer to left by graduate student Zach Seigrist (Beaumont, Texas). He hit the game-winning homer on Friday to defeat Oswego State.

The Tornados scored two unearned runs in the eighth inning to get within 7-6.

Graduate student Matthew Armes (Waco, Texas) singled and pinch runner Ty Klaus-Kisamore (Georgetown, Texas) when to third on an error on a fielder's choice by junior Logan Smith (Georgetown, Texas).

Another error on a fielder's choice by junior Landon Hyle (Georgetown, Texas) scored a run and a groundout by sophomore Carson Riley (Liberty Hill, Texas) cut the deficit to a run.

Senior Nick Cody (Cortland, N.Y.) was 3-for-4 for Oswego State (28-15) while Sander had three hits for Concordia.

Junior Ralph Wallace III (Haslet, Texas) was the winning pitcher with four innings of relief. Wallace gave up two runs and five hits with two strikeouts and is now 4-1.