BASEBALL: McLennan holds off Chaps’ rally to force deciding game
McLennan Community College coach Mitch Thompson knows that Midland College is one team that believes it can come back from large deficit playing in its home ballpark.
By Oscar LeRoy
Midland Reporter-Telegram
MIDLAND, TEXAS - McLennan Community College coach Mitch Thompson knows that Midland College is one team that believes it can come back from large deficit playing in its home ballpark.
Down 13-2 in the sixth, the Chaparrals mounted a huge late rally to make things interesting, but No. 3-ranked McLennan was able to hold on for a 13-12 wild victory in the championship round of the NJCAA Region V Baseball Tournament at Christensen Stadium on Monday night.
"You can tell that (the Chaps) are used to playing in these games where the score may be 13-2 and they still think they're in it," Thompson said. "In most ballparks if you're down 13-2, you don't think you're in it. They still thought they were in it and they made a hell of a run at it."
With the victory, defending national champion McLennan (47-12-1) forces a deciding game at 1 p.m. Tuesday against the Chaps (40-19) to not only determine the title but who goes to the JUCO World Series May 28-June 4 in Grand Junction, Colorado
Admission to Tuesday's championship deciding game is FREE
Despite the loss, the Chaps are still confident heading in the winner-take-all contest.
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| Tyler Wulfert |
"I feel great. We're ready," said shortstop Tyler Wulfert, who helped key the rally with a solo home run and a two-run triple
MC coach Hector Rodriguez said he was proud of his team for continuing to fight.
"Our guys had to keep fighting for many reasons," he said. "You never know what might happen. I told the guys that win, lose or draw, we've got to have quality at-bats, keep it going and get a couple more of their (pitchers) in the game, so it makes it more difficult for them (on Tuesday). I still think the pressure is on the opponent because they have to beat us twice."
McLennan had to play its way out of the elimination bracket after losing to the Chaps 6-3 on Saturday. It then survived a marathon game, a 16-11 victory in 10 innings, over North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference rival Grayson College earlier in the day.
"We've won four now in the last 36 hours," Thompson said. "The format of the tournament puts these kids in a tough position if you lose any of your first two games. I'm just really proud of our kids and their heart has shown. The depth of our team has shown. They put themselves in a position to compete for it (on Tuesday), so I'm really proud of them."
The Highlanders took the offensive rhythm they had in the earlier game into the contest against the Chaps.
After Gibrian Pena gave the designated-visiting Chaps a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the top of the first, the Highlanders responded with four runs in the bottom half to take command. McLennan was leading 2-0 when Johnny Ceccoli connected for a 2-run home run to right off MC starter Michael Lindsey for the 4-1 advantage.
Arkansas signee Hunter Grimes made it 6-1 in the second when he launched a two-run shot to left.
After MC cut it to 6-2, Highlanders again went to the long ball in the bottom of the fifth as TCU signee Cole Fontenelle and Elijah Rodriguez each connected for three-run home runs to take a 12-2 advantage.
The Chaps, however, wouldn't go away as they rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh thanks in part to a three-run home run by Pena, his second of the game, followed by a solo homer by Wulfert, to pull to within 13-7.
"I'm proud of our guys for not giving up," Wulfert said. "No game is ever really over because we never give up. You just keep playing the game because you never know what's going to happen."
MC's Josh Doelitsch also did a good job in relief to give his team a chance. He allowed just one run on three hits and struck out five over 3 1/3 innings.
Rodriguez said he didn't think about making the move to the bullpen earlier because he thought Lindsey was still throwing the ball well.
"It was kind of an ambush-type thing with a couple of those at-bats," Rodriguez said. "(The Highlanders) hit the ball in the air and they were able to hit it out of the ballpark. He settled down after the first inning, but I thought we were going to score too. It happened pretty quickly and I had to get Josh going. I thought Josh was throwing the ball really well."
MC then got within striking distance with a four-run eighth as Garrett Williams smacked a two-run double, and Wulfert just missed a home run when he tripled of the top of the center field fence to plate two runs to get to within 13-11.
Midland Christian grad Rhett Clark hit a solo home run to right to pull MC to within 13-12 but McLennan reliever Ryan Messick struck out the side to close the game for the Highlanders.
The Chaparrals are in search of their first trip to the JUCO World Series since 2014 and third appearance in the program's history.
"Our guys will be ready to play," Rodriguez said. "Hopefully we've got some momentum from the end of the game. I told them that we've still got to pitch, we've got to play defense and we've got to get some big hits. I told them that If we do, we'll be celebrating by 3:30."
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NO. 3 MCLENNAN CC 13, MIDLAND COLLEGE 12
Midland College 100 010 541 -- 12 11 0
McLennan CC 420 061 00x -- 13 13 2
Michael Lindsey, Josh Doelitsch (5) and Ryan Blackwell. Nick Greaney, Cooper Hrbacek (5), Ryan Messick (7) and Jason Hawkins. W – Greaney. L – Lindssey. 2B – MC: Garrett Williams. 3B – McLennan Hunter Grimes; MC: Tyler Wulfert. HR – MC: Gibrian Pena 2, Tyler Wulfert, Rhett Clark; McLennan: Johnny Ceccoli, Hunter Grimes, Cole Fontenelle, Elijah Rodriguez.
• CLICK HERE for an "MC Baseball" photo album from the tournament, by MRT's Tim Fischer
NJCAA Region V Baseball Tournament
at Christensen Stadium
Friday
First round
Game 1: (W2) Midland College (37-18) 2, (N3) Ranger College (37-19) 0
Game 2: (N1) McLennan CC (43-10-1) 15, (W4) Howard College (24-27) 7, 7 innings
Game 3: (N4) Weatherford College (36-19) 3, (1) New Mexico JC (41-15) 2
Game 4: (N2) Grayson College (36-16) 9, (W3) Odessa College (36-19) 5
Saturday
Elimination bracket
Game 5: Howard College (24-28) 8, Ranger College (37-20) 4. Ranger eliminated
Game 6: New Mexico JC (41-16) 15, Odessa College (36-20) 2. Odessa eliminated
Winner's bracket
Game 7: Midland College (38-18) 6, McLennan CC (44-10-1) 3
Game 8: Grayson College (37-16) 12, Weatherford College (37-19) 2
Sunday
Elimination bracket
Game 9: McLennan CC (44-12-1) 6, New Mexico JC (42-16) 5. NMJC eliminated
Game 10: Weatherford College (37-20) 10, Howard College (25-28) 5. Howard eliminated
Winner's bracket
Game 11: Midland College (39-18) 6, Grayson College (38-16) 1
Game 12: McLennan CC (45-12-1) 8, Weatherford College (38-20) 1. Weatherford eliminated
Monday
Elimination bracket
Game 13: McLennan CC (46-12-1) 16, Grayson College (38-17) 11, 10 innings. Grayson eliminated
Championship game
Game 14: Midland College (40-18) 12, McLennan College (46-12-1) 13
Tuesday
Deciding Game
Game 15: Midland College vs McLennan College, 1 p.m.