EASTLAKE, Ohio — A spectacular season and postseason run came to an end at the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament as No. 11 East Texas Baptist University dropped a heartbreaker to No. 1 Denison University, 11-7. ETBU ends their season with 40 wins and was one of the final four teams in the nation.
"We have a lot of young me hurting in the locker room. On that piece of paper right there it didn't say we won the game, and that's ok, and they need to know that. What these guys did this year is a victory in my book," said head coach
Jared Hood. "A band of misfits is what I call them when they all got to campus. There is no rhyme or reason for any of them to be at our school other than they were specifically placed by the hand of God himself for a specific reason and that reason was to become a family, and that's what they accomplished. Everything that was accomplished on the field this year was just icing on the cake. These boys set a goal for themselves to compete on the national stage and I am proud to be their coach today. I love these men and it has been an absolute pleasure this year."
ETBU won 40+ games for only the second time in program history while earning their third NCAA Raegional Championship and ASC Tournament Championship along with the program's second Super Regional Championship. They posted a program best 21-game win streak going undefeated in April, broke No. 1 Denison University's 44-game win streak, and took two games from No. 2 Lynchburg to win the Super Regional.
Joaquin Costa led the offense with three RBIs and added two hits, including a double.
Carson Livesay contributed with two hits, scoring one run.
Kahne Nolen recorded a hit and a double, while
Justin Flannery scored one run and collected a stolen base.
Juan Ortigoza also added two hits and a RBI as
Brody Tewers also added one RBI along with
Jobee Boone.
Isaac Thornton pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out five.
Aiden Leonard followed with 1 1/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs on three hits, including 2 home runs, while striking out 3 and walking 1.
Conner Smeltzer completed the pitching lineup with 1 2/3 innings, yielding four earned runs on three hits and 2 strikeouts. The pitching staff combined for a total of 10 strikeouts.
The Tigers started strong with a four-run first inning. Livesay singled to center, and
Connor Massimini followed with a bunt single.
Carter Nannini's infield hit loaded the bases. Costa then doubled down the right field line, driving in Livesay and Massimini. Costa advanced to third on a wild pitch, while Nannini scored. Boone's single through the right side brought home Costa, setting the score at 4–1 after one inning.
In the third inning, Nolen doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on Flannery's single. Flannery stole second, and Tewers' sacrifice fly brought Nolen home. Ortigoza's single to right field, followed by an advance on the throw, allowed Flannery to score, making it 6–1.
Denison narrowed the gap in the fifth inning. Nate Lloyd singled and scored on Kelly Crittenberger's sacrifice fly after Andrew Fazio's single moved him to third. An additional run came from Jack Lutte's sacrifice fly, reducing the lead to 6–3.
ETBU added a run in the sixth.
Judah Hill singled, and Livesay's bunt single moved him to second. Costa singled through the right side, scoring Hill, and increasing the lead to 7–3.
Denison surged in the seventh inning with a seven-run performance to take the lead, 10-7. They added one more in eighth to make it, 11-7.
This is the second time in four years that ETBU has played in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament and has made the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive years.
ETBU Top Performers
Joaquin Costa
- 3 RBIs
- 2 hits
- 1 double
Carson Livesay
- 2 hits
- 2 walks
- 1 run
Isaac Thornton
- 5 strikeouts
- 5 innings pitched
- 4 hits allowed
