SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – After two days of late-game heroics, the well unfortunately ran dry for the Apprentice School baseball team on Thursday at the 2012 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association Small College World Series.

Facing a pair of USCAA All-American pitchers in Taylor Reilly and Tyler Brown, the Builders came up on the short-end of a 5-1 and 5-2 loss to Spalding University in the championship games at Robin Roberts Stadium.  With the losses, the Builders end the season with a 29-18 record.

This marks the third time that the baseball team has finished second in the USCAA Small College World Series as they also were runnerup in 2005 against Webber International and in 2008 at War Memorial Stadium against Washington Adventist University – then called Columbia Union College.

In game one, the Builders scored first in the third inning as with two outs, Trevin Wilson singled and went to second in a Chris Aldridge single to center.  Devorn Lake followed with a single to right field to plate Wilson for a 1-0 lead.

Spalding answered with a run in the seventh to tie on a two-out triple from Kyle Just who scored Derek Ferch who had walked.  In the ninth, the Golden Eagles scored four times to take the 5-1 win.

In game two, Spalding put a pair of runs on the board in the first and fifth to take a 4-0 lead before the Builders scored a run in the fifth on a two-out solo home run from Chris Scarola.  Each team put up a run in the sixth as tournament MVP Bryan Clemmons drove in Eric Johnson with a sacrifice fly.  Apprentice answered as Aldridge started the inning with a double and went to third on a ground out from Lake, Travis Franklin drove him in with a sacrifice fly to bring the margin to 5-2.

Franklin had three hits in the two games to lead the Builders at the plate and was named to the All-Tournament team along with fellow senior Daniel Lutz.  For the tournament, Franklin was the leading hitter for the Builders at 9-for-18 (.500) with a double, while Lake was next at 5-for-15 (.333).

The 2013 edition looks promising for the Builders as they only lose four seniors off this year's team – Lutz, Franklin, Will Miller and Andrew Hooper.