PITTSBURGH, PA – The La Roche Baseball team won Saturday's three team tournament defeating Case Western in the early game 6-4 before beating 5-time national champion Marietta 6-1.
Case Western scored a run in the first and third innings but Tanner Stanz pitched out of jam in the third to limit the damage. Stanz got out of another jam in the fourth inning when the Spartans loaded the bases with no outs. David Lemley turned a 5-2-5 double play and Stanz got the next batter to fly out to right to end the threat.
Lemley picked up the offense with a homer way over the Red Monster to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth. La Roche took their first lead of the game in the following inning. Tyler Craig led off the inning with a double off the fence and scored on a passed ball. Ben Herstine then doubled home Ian Velez to put the Redhawks up 3-2.
Stanz conceded a run in the top of the sixth but again got out of a jam when Colin Williamson and Tyler Craig connected to turn a 6-4-3 double play. La Roche answered in the bottom of the seventh on a Corey Lazor bloop single to score Ian Velez. The Redhawks added two more on an error in the bottom of the eighth and Trey Claar got out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.
La Roche made five errors in the game but still managed to pick up the victory. Starting pitcher Tanner Stanz gave up just one earned run in six innings and Shane Emrich earned the win in relief.
Velez went 3 for 5 with two runs and Williamson had two hits.
The Redhawks loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning and La Roche made Marietta pay by putting up a five spot. Shane Roebuck had a two-run double while Herstine, Williamson and Lemley hit in one a piece.
Professori nearly put La Roche up six in the second inning but Marietta's centerfielder made a terrific diving catch just in front of the wall to keep the game at five runs. The Pioneers responded with an RBI single in the top of the third but La Roche used a strike-em-out throw-em-out to get out of the inning. Herstine added an RBI single in the eighth inning.
Regis Sauers did not need much offense as he dominated in his seven innings of work. He allowed just six baserunners and one earned run while walking none and striking out two. Justin Johnson gave up just one hit and struck out 4 batters in two innings of relief.
Herstine and Roebuck each hit in two and Spina scored twice.
La Roche will host Heidelberg on Wednesday in a NCAA Regional rematch. First-pitch is 4pm.