HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. --- The top-seeded Randolph-Macon baseball team topped fourth-seeded Christopher Newport 11-2 Sunday afternoon at Ting Stadium to win its first NCAA Regional title and earn its first trip to the Division III College World Series. This marks the second straight year that an ODAC team will make an appearance in the tournament finals following the run by Roanoke College in 2017.
The Yellow Jackets (35-7-1) went 4-0 in the Holly Springs Regional, including a pair of victories over the Captains (35-12). The R-MC offense had just three multi-run innings in its first 25 innings of regional play, one three-run inning and a pair of two-run frames. The Yellow Jackets exploded in Game 4, putting up six in the first and four in the fourth for an 11-0 lead.
R-MC jumped on CNU quickly in the top of the first. Junior Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) had a one-out single to center to start the rally. Butler moved to third on a base hit by senior Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge), who took second on the throw. Senior Rick Spiers (South Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) walked to load the bases and senior Joseph Tuzzolo (Newport News, Va./Menchville) drew a base on balls to force in the first run. Sophomore Reece Yeargain (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) ripped a two-run single through the left side to push the advantage to 3-0. Junior Cole Grinde (Woodford, Va./Carolina) walked to reload the bases. Sophomore Michael Nickles (Stafford, Va/Colonial Forge) hit a grounder to short that could not be fielded cleanly, plating two more to make it 5-0. With two away, sophomore Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) singled up the middle to bring home Nickles, extending the lead to 6-0. Duphorn reached base for the 70th consecutive game.
Sophomore Michael Zubovich (Chantilly, Va./Freedom) retired the Captains in order in the bottom of the first. The R-MC pitching staff did not allow a first-inning base runner in four NCAA regional games.
Migliorini laced a leadoff triple to right center in the second, his team-leading fourth three-bagger of the season, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Yellow Jackets a 7-0 advantage.
R-MC added to its lead in the fourth. Tuzzolo had a one-out double and scored on a two-out single by Grinde to make it 8-0. Nickles followed with ninth home run of the season to make it a 10-0 contest. Sophomore Zach Evans (Fort Mill, S.C./Seneca) walked and came home on a triple by Duphorn to extend the lead to 11-0.
CNU tallied its two runs in the sixth.
Nickles knocked in three and scored twice, while Duphorn had three hits and drove in two. Migliorini went 3 for 5 with two runs.
Zubovich (3-0) worked six innings with five hits, two runs, two walks and five strikeouts.
Migliorini, Evans, junior Colin Selby (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) and junior Nick Roth (Henrico, Va./Benedictine) were named to the All-Regional team.
R-MC earned its 35th victory of the season, tying the 2016 team for wins in a season. The Yellow Jackets' Class of 2018 has 122 career wins, also a program record.
Click here to view post-game press conference (CNU first)
--- This release is courtesy of the Randolph-Macon College sports information department. ---
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