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Lutheran Wins Third Straight ASC Baseball Title May 7, 2007 |
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Courtesy Texas Lutheran University Sports Information Department
RICHARDSON, Texas – The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs are headed back to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship after sweeping through the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. TLU finished off its third straight ASC title with a 6-0 win Monday over McMurry behind a complete-game shutout from freshman right-hander Logan Hull. No. 8-ranked TLU (35-8-1) secured its third straight 35-win season with a 3-0 run through the tournament. ASC West Division Champion TLU was 4-0 this year against McMurry (28-17), the West runner-up. Hull worked out of jams in the first, fourth, fifth and eighth and stranded 11 McMurry base runners. The Bulldogs turned two double plays and did not commit a fielding error. Hull (7-2) struck out seven and scattered nine hits. He struck out the side after Derek David singled and Brent Voorhees doubled to start the fourth. It was the first complete game and first shutout of his collegiate career. Hull was joined on the ASC All-Tournament team by four Bulldogs: first baseman Jason Foley, shortstop Jake Kaase, second baseman Scott Matocha and tournament Most Valuable Player Daniel Besa. Senior right-hander Besa pitched a complete-game shutout Sunday in TLU’s 1-0 win against tournament host and No. 21-ranked Texas-Dallas. In Monday’s tournament-clinching win, the Bulldogs broke open the game with a four-run third inning, which started with a Matocha walk and a Kaase single. Joseph Brade put down a bunt single to load the bases, and Jason Foley singled into left field to score two runs. Josh Moreno singled with one out to score Brade, and Brandon Opheim hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Foley. The Bulldogs scored a run in the fourth and a run in the eighth on Kaase singles. The ASC West Co-Player of the Year brought home Ryan Nokelby in the fourth and Kyle Harvey in the eighth. Harvey singled and stole second and third to set up the final TLU run. Kaase paced TLU at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance. Brade and Moreno each had two hits. Matocha had his school-record hitting streak stopped at 24. Matocha was hit by a pitch, walked, put down a sacrifice bunt, lined out to third base and struck out. He reached base twice and scored a run. TLU advanced to Monday’s championship round with an 8-7 win Saturday over the University of the Ozarks (Ark.) and a 1-0 win Sunday against Texas-Dallas. The Bulldogs scored two runs in the ninth against Ozarks to send the game into extra innings. TLU then needed Besa’s pitching gem and Moreno’s walk-off RBI double to defeat Texas-Dallas. McMurry battled into the championship round after an opening-day loss to UT-Dallas. McMurry then eliminated Ozarks and UT-Dallas with victories Sunday. McMurry needed to defeat TLU twice on Monday to claim the conference title. TLU will play in an NCAA regional tournament May 16-20 at a site to be determined. The Bulldogs have finished as the NCAA Division III West Region runner-up in each of the last two seasons. Texas Lutheran 6, McMurry University 0 TLU (35-8-1); MCM (28-17); Pitchers: McMurry University - Casey; Johnston(4); Lee(8). Texas Lutheran - Logan Hull. Win-Logan Hull (7-2); Loss-Casey(1-5); T-2:20. A-200. ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
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