Box Score Emory University suffered a heartbreaking loss in an instant-classic game at the 2015 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, falling 3-2 in 12 innings to the 22nd-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin on Saturday night.
The loss sends Emory (31-14) to the consolation draw of the pool to face 15th-ranked Trinity University (Tex.) for the second time of the tournament at 1:15 pm CT on Sunday. The Eagles will need to win that game, and then defeat UW-L at 7:45 pm on Sunday to force a deciding game with UW-L (35-13) on Monday to reach the National Championship best-of-three series.
UW-L jumped out to an early lead against Emory, scoring a pair in the first inning on three hits and two errors. Senior starter Connor Dillman would settle in though for Emory, working out of a one-out, man on third situation in the second, and a bases-loaded one out situation in the fourth.
Offensively, Emory had its opportunities throughout the early part of the game, but struggled to get on the scoreboard. The Eagles had baserunners on in each of the first six innings, including runners in scoring position in the second through the sixth, but left the runners stranded each frame.
Emory finally broke through in the top of the seventh. Junior Dylan Eisner led the inning off with a single, and sophomore Brian Hernandez followed with a pinch hit single of his own, putting runners at first and second with no outs and chasing starter Joe Miller from the game. UW-L turned to its closer Jameson Sadowske, and despite striking out the next two batters, allowed both runners to move into scoring position with a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning and two strikes, sophomore Wilson Morgan delivered a game-tying single to right-center field, scoring Eisner and Hernandez to knot the game at 2-2.
After leaving the bases loaded in the fourth, Dillman would allow just one more baserunner until the eighth inning, when UW-L put runners at first and second with a one-out single and a walk. However, the senior righty got fly outs to right and center field to end the threat.
Dillman allowed the leadoff man to reach on a base hit in the ninth as well, and the runner moved up to second with no outs on a passed ball. Dillman struck out the next batter, and was lifted for sophomore closer Kyle Monk, who induced a pair of groundouts to keep the score tied and send the game into extra innings.
Dillman finished the game with just one earned run and two total allowed on seven hits and three walks and eight strikeouts.
Emory threatened in the top of the tenth, when a base hit for senior Brett Lake and a walk to junior Ben Vizvary, both with one out, put the go-ahead run in scoring position for the Eagles, but a ground ball double play ended the threat in the frame. Monk would accomplish the same in the bottom of the inning, getting a fly out to end the frame after a two-out error and single put a pair on for UW-L.
In the 12th, Emory put runners on the corners when Morgan reach on a two-out error and Lake followed with a single, but Vizvary bounced out to short to end the Eagles' scoring opportunity.
Senior Michael Byman took over on the mound in the bottom of the 12th, and after getting the first two outs, hit a batter and allowed a steal of second base to put the game-winning run into scoring position. Travis Buxton-Verstegen would follow with a ground ball to third base that was thrown away, allowing the game-clinching run to score.
Byman took the loss in the game to drop to 1-1 on the year, while Sadowske earned the win in relief, raising his record to 5-0. The game ended slightly after midnight central time.
Lake finished the game four-for-six for the Eagles, while junior David Coble added a pair of hits and Morgan went three-for-six with both of the Eagles' RBIs.
Fans can follow the action on Saturday with live video, available at http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule and live statistics. The live statistics link will be posted to EmoryAthletics.com when it is made available.
