BOX SCORE
Center Valley, Pa. (May 3, 2008) – The DeSales University baseball team advanced to the Freedom Conference championship game using some good old fashioned pitching and defense, topping Manhattanville College, 3-2, in the winner's bracket championship game on Saturday afternoon in Quakertown Memorial Park.
The Bulldogs (23-18-1 overall) advance to the title game for the ninth straight season but for the first time in the last three years out of the winner's bracket. Manhattanville College (27-12 overall) faces Arcadia University in the final game of the evening on Saturday night, with the winner meeting the Bulldogs on Sunday in the championship game starting at Noon. The survivor must defeat DSU twice on Sunday to take the title.
In the win on Saturday, the Valiants took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Joe Gallace drove in Jason Monforte with an infield hit to second base that glanced off the pitcher's glove.
DSU wasted no time tying the score when senior Scott Matejicka (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) drove in junior Nick Repas (Abingdon, MD/Bel Air) with an RBI single in the top of the third inning, but the Bulldogs left the bases loaded with one out, squandering any other scoring chances.
In the top of the fourth inning, DeSales took the lead for good. Sophomore Derek Moyer (Harleysville, PA/Souderton) reached base with one out on a bunt single, advanced to second on a ground out and scored when Repas laced a double to left-center. Repas scored just one pitch later when senior Andrew Heard (Alexandria, VA/Hayfield) hit a bloop single down the right field line plating Repas staking the Bulldogs to a 3-1 lead.
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings before the Valiants pulled within one in the bottom of the eighth inning when Thomas Verrengia singled home Dan Needleman who doubled to lead-off the inning.
Sophomore Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) entered the game with one out and runner on first base in the bottom of the eighth inning and got the final two outs of the inning and then stranded a lead-off walk in the ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the season. Juniors Greg Treat (Concord, NH/Concord) and Matt Connors (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) each made excellent defensive plays to record the final two outs with stops in the hole on the left side to end the game.
Freshman Mike Newland (Frenchtown, NJ/Delaware Valley) earned his first collegiate win going six strong innings scattering six hits and allowing just one run. Moyer and Heard each had two hits, while Repas scored two runs and had an RBI in the win. Heard and Matejicka also had RBI's for the Bulldogs.
DeSales will be looking for its eighth Freedom Conference championship on Sunday and its first since the 2005 season. Game time on Sunday is set for Noon at Quakertown Memorial Park.
