Appleton, WI (5-28-11) – Despite outhitting their opponent, it was a horrid night of fielding that handed Keystone College its first loss in World Series play as the Giants fell to Buena Vista University 8-5 in the 2011 NCAA Division III World Series at Fox Cities Stadium.

The loss, which snaps a 17 game winning streak, drops the Giants to 37-11 overall, while Buena Vista moves to 34-16.

Next up for the Giants will be an elimination game on Sunday at 3:30pm as they take on Salisbury State University. Salisbury lost their opening round game with Marietta College before bouncing back with a victory over Kean University.

Buena Vista will continue on in the winner's bracket side of things with a 7pm contest against the nation's number one team in Marietta.

Rob Rogers suffered the loss for Keystone to fall to 6-2 on the year. Rogers was the victim of four Keystone errors, allowing eight runs, with only two being earned. He allowed eight hits, while striking out nine and walking two.

The Keystone defense committed five errors on the night which resulted in six unearned runs. The Giants picked up 13 hits in the game, while the Beavers recorded 11.

Lance Ratchford led the Giants with three hits, while Esteban Meletiche, Andy Vega and Brian Del Rosso each added a pair of hits. Del Rosso also added a pair of RBI. 

Connor Smith worked three scoreless innings in relief for the Giants, picking up four strikeouts. 

Michael Dirkx earned the win for the Beavers by going seven innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on 11 hits, while striking out four.

The Giants now face elimination for the first this postseason, having swept their way through the conference and Regional tournaments. “If anyone can come out of the loser's bracket, it's Keystone, remarked Keystone head coach Jamie Shevchik following the contest. “We have a lot of quality starters left and we will not go away quietly, especially in an environment like this.”

Buena Vista wasted no time staking themselves to an early lead as leadoff man Brad Blum doubled to right center and quickly moved to third when shortstop Lance Ratchford could not handle a Brock Yassi groundball. Michael Hoffman followed with a double down the right field line that brought home both runners, the Giants caught a break as Hoffman was erased trying to stretch his hit into a triple. Rogers set down the next two hitters to avoid further damage.

The Giants got one back in the bottom of the opening inning when Andrew Siano drilled a shot over the wall in left-center.

The Beavers put up another two spot in the second thanks to a pair of hits, a passed ball and an error.

Andy Compton reached with a one out single and moved to third when Dylan Colo followed with a base hit of his own. Compton would come into score on a passed ball during the very next at bat, as Colo moved to second. After Rogers struck out Tyler Case, Gabe Torres couldn't handle a bouncer by Blum to third, as the error allowed Colo to score for a 4-1 lead.

Ratchford reached for the Giants on a one out single and moved to second on a passed ball, but back-to-back strikeouts by Dirkx ended things for the Giants.

After the Beavers went down in order in the third, Meletiche picked up a one out single, but was erased on a Siano double play grounder.

A two out Giants rally in the fourth brought in three runs as Keystone knotted things at four. Vega and Ratchford recorded back-to-back singles to right to put runners on the corners and Austin Straub made it three straight to right field to bring around Vega, as heads up base running by Straub enabled him to move to second in the play.

Del Rosso followed with Keystone's fourth straight hit, this time a single to left to bring around both Ratchford and Straub, with Del Rosso moving to second on the play at the plate. Del Rosso was later erased trying to steal third.

Rogers allowed a leadoff single in the fifth to the Beavers, but the hit did no damage as the hurler picked up a two out strike out with the runner on third. Keystone went quietly in the bottom half of the frame with Dirkx setting the side down in order.

The Beavers broke the game open in the sixth when they batted around, taking full advantage of two Keystone errors to score four times to take an 8-4 lead.

Buena Vista put their leadoff man via a base hit and after a strikeout, Joe Paletta reached via an error on Tores both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Andy Compton walked to load the bases before Colo singles to right to score the first run.

After Rogers got Tyler Case to strike out, Blun followed with a bunt base hit to third to add to the lead. Yossi followed by drawing a bases loaded walk to score the third run and Colo came around on a wild pitch for the fourth run.

The Giants tried to chip away in the bottom half of the inning when Torres drew a leadoff walk and Ratchford singles, but the Giants could not push across a run.

Keystone tried once again to stir up a rally in the seventh as Brian Del Rosso led off with a base hit. Frank Mormino followed with a ground ball that was ruled a double play due to a hard slide at second to give the Giants two quick outs. Meletiche followed with a two out single, but was left stranded. 

The Giants got one back in the eight when Torres scored on a Vega single. It appeared Keystone might have something cooking in the eight, putting runners on second and third with no one out. But after back-to-back strike outs, a bang-bang play on a Del Rosso grounder that initially got under the first baseman's glove, resulted in the third out, leaving two Keystone runners on as the Giants desperately tried to draw closer. 

“All year our guys have been very god in putting the ball in play, we didn't get it done tonight,” added coach Shevchik. 


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