NCAA® 2007 DIVISION III BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
WEST REGION

GAME 5
#6 Pomona-Pitzer 8, #7 Austin 6

POMONA-PITZER STAYS ALIVE WITH EXTRA-INNING WIN

ORANGE, Calif. - The fight for survival at the NCAA Division III Baseball West Region championships came down to one mighty 11th-inning swing. Pomona-Pitzer slugger Drew Hedman's 14th home run of the season may have been his most memorable as it provided the game-winning runs in the Sagehens' 8-6 extra-inning win over Austin College (Texas) in an elimination game at Hart Park on Thursday.

Zach Mandelblatt drew a one-out walk in the top of the 11th, followed by Hedman's two-run homer which snapped a 6-6 tie. Michael Joannides pitched a scoreless 11th inning for his fifth save of the year.

Pomona-Pitzer (30-12) stays alive for at least one more game and will face the loser of No. 2 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) and No. 3 Texas Lutheran on Thursday night at 8 p.m. With the loss Austin (22-25) became the second team eliminated from the West Region tournament.

It took a late rally from Pomona to force extra innings. The Sagehens overcame a 5-0 first inning deficit by scoring four in the sixth, capped by a two-out, three-run double by Edward Pickett which cut Austin's lead to 5-4. Then trailing 6-4 in the eighth, Mandelblatt doubled and scored later on a wild pitch. Joannides followed with an RBI single to tie the score 6-6.

The Kangaroos' five-run outburst in the first inning all came with two outs. Scooter Means and Lee Cohen hit back-to-back home runs in the inning; Means' shot came with two runners on base. Bennett Herrick followed with an RBI double in the inning to give Austin a 5-0 lead. Means finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBI.

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Game stats available online:
/athletics/06-07/baseball/regionals/game5.htm