LYNCHBURG, Va. --- Avery Neaves plated the go-ahead runs with a two-run blast to left in the eighth inning and Jack Bachmore shut the door for a second straight game as the University of Lynchburg claimed the Lynchburg Super Regional title with a 3-1 triumph over Shenandoah University to advance in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.
The victory marked the second in two outings for Lynchburg (43-7) in the best-of-three series at City Stadium, earning Lynchburg a 2-0 series win over Shenandoah (42-10) and a trip to Perfect Game Field at Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, next week.
Lynchburg is the third ODAC team in recent years to make the final rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Roanoke College went 6-3 in the 2017 bracket that featured a trip to Appleton, Wis. Randolph-Macon College went 7-2 the following year, coming up one game shy of the best-of-three series to compete for the D-III trophy in the final year the latter rounds were hosted in Appleton.
With its 5-1 record in this year's NCAA Tournament, Lynchburg carries a 24-23 all-time Division III tournament record to Iowa.
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Starters Brandon Pond for Lynchburg and Jacob Bell for Shenandoah treated fans at City Stadium to a classic pitchers' duel. But it was Neaves' two-run bomb that reversed SU's 1-0 lead since the fifth inning into a 2-1 Lynchburg advantage in the eighth. Third baseman Gavin Collins helped Lynchburg's nerves with an insurance run via a sacrifice fly to center to score pinch runner Logan Webster, who had advanced to third on an SU passed ball.
Bachmore, who registered his 12th save of the year with 2.1 innings of relief in Lynchburg's 9-6 win on Friday, came out of the pen for the ninth inning on Saturday. This outing started out rocky as he walked both Kyle Lisa and Kooper Anderson on four pitches each. Frankie Ritter moved both runners up a base with a sac bunt. Bachmore struck out Colby Martin looking with a curveball on a 3-2 count, and then got Gavin Horning to pop up to first base to end the contest for his 13th save.
Shenandoah took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth with some good baserunning. Anderson and Ritter led off with a pair of singles. Martin flew out to right to advance Anderson to third. After Ritter stole second, Horning was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Anderson came around to score on a wild pitch during Tyler Blittersdorf's at bat, giving Shenandoah a 1-0 lead that would last until the eighth inning.
Mason McDowell earned his first collegiate victory out of the bullpen for Lynchburg. He gave up one hit and walked one with a strikeout in 2.0 scoreless frames. Pond gave up one run while scattering seven hits over 6.0 innings. He issued one free pass and fanned four.
Parker Farrington took the loss for Shenandoah out of the bullpen, moving his record to 5-4 on the year. He gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits. Bell was strong over 7.0 shutout innings. He surrendered four hits and walked three to go with five punchouts.
Lynchburg second baseman Benton Jones led all players with three hits including a double. Ritter and Blittersdorf along with third baseman Ryan Clawson had two hits each for Shenandoah.
Details for the next round of competition for Lynchburg will be announced later this week.