Appleton, WI (5-30-11) – Heading into their fourth round contest with Marietta College, the nation's top ranked team, the Keystone College baseball team found themselves just one game from the championship round of the 2011 NCAA Division III World Series at Fox Cities Stadium.
Unfortunately for Keystone it was not so much the play of the Pioneers, but their own defensive troubles that ended their season at 38-12 with an 11-2 loss.
Keystone committed four errors in the game, leading to seven unearned runs for Marietta. However, the trouble in the field was not the only dim spot for the Giants, as they managed just four hits.
Marietta will now move onto to play Chapman (CA) on Tuesday for the national championship.
Blaine O'Brien suffered the loss to fall to 8-2 on the season. O'Brien worked five and two-third innings allowing five runs, only two of which were earned. He surrendered five hits, while walking four and striking to three.
Mike Mahaffey picked up the win, going seven innings, allowing three hits and striking out four.
The Pioneers belted out 12 hits on the afternoon.
Roberto Santana, Andy Vega, Lance Ratchford and Andrew Siano all collected hits for Keystone.
Both teams went down in order in the first, as five of the six outs came via ground outs. The second inning provided much of the same, as Lance Ratchford recorded all three assists for the Giants.
The third inning started off on a positive note for the Giants as O'Brien struck out the first two hitters. However, fielding miscues presented themselves once again for the Giants as the Pioneers pushed across three unearned runs.
Alex Toth reached on a throwing error by Ratchford and was followed up by a walk to Jordan Grilliot. Kirby Becker then singled to deep short where Ratchford made a nice play in the hole, but sent the throw sailing over first base that allowed Toth to score and runners to move up. John Snyder then hit a flare to right field to bring in Grilliot for a 2-0 lead.
Marietta made it 3-0 when Becker and Snyder attempted a double steal, as Becker crossed the plate before Snyder was tagged out between first and second.
The Giants went quietly in the third inning picking up a pair of strikeouts and weak grounder along the way.
The Pioneers added a pair in the fourth, with both runs coming on a Casey Levens home run to left. Aaron Hopper who was hit by a pitch prior to the hit also came in to score on the blast.
Mahaffey continued to keep the Keystone hitters off balance in the fourth sending the side down in order.
After the Pioneers failed to do anything with a walk in the top of the fifth, Gabe Torres drew a one out walk in the bottom half to give the Giants a desperately needed base runner. However, the next two hitters were retired via a ground ball and fly out to end the inning.
Marietta put two on in the sixth as they looked to extend their advantage, but a bullet from Siano in right to Bryan Henry at the plate cut down Levens for the third out of the inning.
Keystone's first scoring threat of the game came in the sixth when Meletiche drew a one out walk and Siano followed with a base hit to left. However, Santana hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
The Pioneers added another crooked number in the seventh as Kirby Becker led off with a walk and advanced to third when Jeremy Beeching's pick-off attempt sailed down the right field line. Snyder the n followed with single to right to plate Becker.
Saunders then delivered a smash to the gap in right center that Siano nearly snagged in a great attempt, but the Pioneers ended up with runners on second and third following the double. Marietta added two more when Ratchford committed his third error of the game, extending the lead to 8-0.
The Pioneers were not done yet as Alex Toth singled to center to bring around two more runs as part of the five run seventh inning. The Giants managed to put one aboard in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a Vega base hit, but could do noting with it.
Marietta kept the offense going in the eight by greeting reliever Mike Rossi to with two hits and a walk to load the bases. Aaron Hopper became the fourth straight player to reach safely, as he singled to left to drive in the 11th run of the game. Rossi worked out of further trouble be getting a pair of grounders and a pop out.
The Giants broke the shut out in the eight as Brian Del Rosso walked to lead off the inning and pinch hitter Anthony Pace reached on a fielder's choice. Both came around to score on a two-out, two-run Santana double to left. With Keystone snapping the shut out, they prevented the Pioneers from breaking the NCAA record for shut outs in a season, which is 16.
