DEMOREST, Ga. --- No. 13/16 Shenandoah University made its first extra-inning baseball game this season a memorable one with a 5-4, 11-inning victory over No. 14/12 Birmingham-Southern Friday morning at the Demorest Regional.
Shenandoah (33-9) advances to a 5 p.m. game against the winner of the second-seeded Emory versus fourth-seeded Bridgewater contest.
The winner of that game will have two chances to punch its ticket to Appleton, Wisconsin and the NCAA Division III National Championships.
Senior Vince Claudio (8-1) went the distance for SU, striking out 10 and allowing the four runs (two earned) on just four hits and four walks.
Shenandoah scored the game-winning run in the 11th as sophomore Lew Johnsondrew a leadoff walk against reliever David Bourbonnais (6-2) and was sacrificed to second by Corbin Lucas.
A Billy Arens groundout moved Johnson to third, and after Bourbonnais walked pinch-hitter Andrew Creamer, the submariner uncorked a wild pitch on a 2-1 count toMichael Paul that allowed Johnson to race home with the winning run.
In the 11th, Claudio retired the Panthers (35-12) in order on a fly to right, a groundout to short and a groundout to second.
The Hornets took the early lead with two runs in the second before B-SC answered with three in its half of the frame and one more in the third.
Claudio then settled in and allowed just four runners after the third inning and retired 19 of the final 21 hitters he faced.
The lone batters to reach base did so on an error in the ninth and a one-out walk in the 10th.
After issuing that walk, Claudio struck the next two batters out.
He retired B-SC in order in the fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth and 11th.
Johnson, in addition to scoring the game-winning run, had a two-run single up the middle in the second to get SU on the board.
Junior Daniel Freshley tied the game for the victors with a two-run, two-out double to left in the sixth.
Freshley and Dan Powers both had two hits to lead the Shenandoah offense.
Lucas reached base three times in five at-bats from the leadoff spot.
The loss eliminates Birmingham-Southern from the tournament.
--- This release is courtesy of the Shenandoah University sports information department. ---
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