Penn State Greater Allegheny recap
Video Replays of Championship Saturday Games
For the #1 Apprentice School athletic moment in 2014-15, we go back to the diamond on May 16 when the baseball team put on a run for the ages to capture the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association Small College World Series championship.
Doing something that had not been accomplished since 2002 as tournament hosts, the Builders went on a three-game run on the final day of the tournament at War Memorial Stadium. They became the first host team since Florida College in 2002 to win the championship.
After opening the tournament with a 4-1 win over Rochester College on May 13, the Builders dropped a tight 3-1 game to top-seeded Illinois Tech the next afternoon to fall into the elimination bracket.
On May 15, the Builders had to win a pair of games to give themselves a shot on Saturday against a pair of St. Joseph’s schools. They defeated College of St. Joseph’s (VT) 5-2 as they put up a five-spot in the bottom of the first. Later that day they faced St. Joseph’s College-Brooklyn and won 5-4 to make it to the final day for the seventh time in the last nine years.
Championship Saturday opened with the third-place game against perennial power Penn State Greater Allegheny. Jordan Cowles drove in two runs with a double in the fourth and a solo home run in the seventh from Christian Burton provided insurance in a 4-1 Apprentice School win over Penn State Greater Allegheny. Taylor Gomer went 5.2 innings allowing seven hits with five strikeouts, while Sam Massie earned his second save in as many games.
The finals saw the Builders take on Illinois Tech again and the Builders erupted for many school and tournament records in a 25-10 thrashing of the Scarlet Hawks. Mark Labrador drove in five runs for the Builders going 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Christian Burton was 4-for-7 with four RBIs, while Jordan Cowles was 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two driven in for the Builders. The hosts broke tournament records for runs scored and RBIs while tying the tournament record for hits, individual doubles (Lee Rossi) and individual runs scored (Brock Harris).
Hot bats carried over for the Builders to the winner-take-all game as the hosts put up a five-spot in the top of the first and rode the complete-game nine strikeout performance of Mike Brumfield as the Builders won 10-1. Brumfield went the distance against the team that had earlier defeated him in the tournament 3-1 on Thursday allowing seven hits and walking four to go with his nine strikeouts. Harris was 4-for-5 and Thomas Richardson was 3-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Builders who had 14 hits in the game.
Earning All-Tournament honors were Rossi, Gomer and Brumfield while Massie was named the MVP.
We look forward to the upcoming 2015-16 athletic season that will begin on Saturday with the football and golf teams in action.
2014-15 Top 10
10 – Football tops Alfred State
9 – Golf Team Wins MACU Invitational
8 – 20 years of Lady Builders basketball
7 - Men's Basketball Knocks Off USCAA Champs On Senior Day
5 - Women Knock Off Eastern Mennonite
4 - Wrestlers Take Second At NCWA National Duals
2 - Award Winning Year For Athletics
1 - Championship Saturday