Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Dropping to the consolation bracket didn't stop Campbellsville University from returning to the Mid-South Conference Championship game for the sixth straight year. Friday was a day of pitching duels, as MSC Freshman of the Year Ryan Robertson led the University of Rio Grande past MSC Pitcher of the Year Ian Pick in a 3-2 Rio win. After the Tigers dropped down in the bracket to face Georgetown College, an unexpected duel unfolded between Chad Ballinger of Georgetown and Rusty Devitt of Campbellsville, as CU beat Georgetown 5-1.

Campbellsville will meet Rio again Saturday at 2 p.m. for the MSC Championship.





Devitt and Ballinger held their opponents scoreless through five innings until Campbellsville pushed ahead, 1-0, on an RBI single from Brian Chase to score Colin Bryan.

Both teams remained scoreless again until the ninth. Campbellsville scored four times in the ninth with the aid of five hits and four Georgetown errors.  

Campbellsville's Zac Townsend, who drove in three runs Thursday, ignited the decisive ninth inning for CU.

With one out, Jameel Ziadeh and Bryan reached base on back-to-back singles setting the table for Townsend. After the pair advanced into scoring position, Townsend laid down a suicide squeeze scoring Ziadeh. A wild throw by Georgetown starting pitcher Chase Ballinger over the first basemen's glove plated Bryan and sent Townsend to third base. Campbellsville led 3-0.
 

Alex Ponich's RBI single to right field scored Townsend to extend the Campbellsville lead to 4-0. Chase's sacrifice fly two batters later scored the fourth Tiger run of the inning giving Campbellsville a 5-0 lead entering the bottom half of the ninth inning.
 

Georgetown's Tyler Fisher provided the only run of the night for GC with a lead-off home run in the ninth -- his second homer in as many days. The shot cut the CU lead to four and would be all Devitt would face, as he exited the game as rain began to pour on Tiger Field.
 

Following a little more than an hour lightening delay, Campbellsville reliever Alex Tolmachoff completed the ninth to send Campbellsville into the finals.

Devitt (4-2) allowed just one run on six hits in 8-plus innings of work to earn the win. Ballinger (6-4) allowed five runs -- three earned -- over 8-1/3 innings pitched.

Campbellsville dropped to the consolation bracket after losing to Rio Grande to start the day.

The Tigers opened the game with a two-run lead when Richie Rowland doubled home Ponich and Chase. Rio answered with a run in the second and third.

An unearned run in the bottom of the eighth led to the first loss of the season for Pick (10-1), as Rio advanced to the MSC Championship game in its first year in the conference.
 

Rio Grande's Tyler Schunk led off the inning reaching on an error and advanced to second two batters later when Mahon was hit by a pitch, a call Campbellsville argued didn't take place. When appealed, both field umpires said they could not see if the ball hit Mahon's foot or not. Yakura broke the 2-2 tie with a single to shallow center field to give the Redstorm their first lead of the game at 3-2.
 

Robertson (12-1) made the most of the lead, retiring the Tigers in order in the top of the ninth to secure the win.

CU had its chances, hitting into two double plays and stranding 10 runners on base through the course of the game.

Campbellsville is 39-19 after the day and will be playing for its fourth 40-win season in the Beauford Sanders era as well as its sixth-consecutive MSC Tournament title.

MSC Tournament Page

 

PHOTO GALLERY - CU vs. Rio Grande

PHOTO GALLERY - CU vs. Georgetown