Grand Chute, WI – Montclair State is by no means a fluke entry in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, but on Monday, the defending champion Red Hawks used a bit of good fortune to beat Salisbury 1-0 in an elimination game.
In the pitchers' duel between
JEFF GOGAL and Salisbury State's Matt Roath, mere inched allowed Montclair State to score in the seventh inning.
Scott Alan, the leadoff batter, popped into foul territory, but the ball gazed off the glove of catcher Mike Russell. Allan eventually walked.
CHRIS BARAN then hit into a fielder's choice as the Sea Gulls were unable to get Baran out at first to complete a double play. Baran stole second.
JEFF SCHRIBER followed with a ground ball that glanced off the glove of third baseman Mike Harbaugh into left field. The relay home was second too late to nail Baran.
The run was enough to get the Red Hawks back to the final day of the tournament for a second straight year. Montclair State takes on Marietta in the first game today at 1 p.m. The winner takes on St. Thomas in the championship.
"I had a thought in the back of my head that we were going to win this game no matter what," Gogal said. "I was saying, 'I'll keep them here. We'll score runs. We'll win this game.' "
Gogal's pitching performance compensated for an offense that mustered just three hits. The freshman lefthander scattered seven hits and allowed only one base runner to reach second. He became the first Red Hawk to toss a complete-game shutout in the Division III World Series since Dan Olsson outdueled future major-leaguer Terry Mulholland of Marietta in the opening game of the 1984 championship tournament by the identical score.
"From Feb. 24, when we started, to today, he's probably been the most consistent pitcher on our staff," Montclair State coach Norm Schoenig said. "Jeff's as good as anybody we had. He's got a ways to go to continue to prove that, but I'm sure he will. He'll be just an outstanding pitcher."
Gogal was the beneficiary of three double plays, including the game-clincher and picked off two base runners. He struck out six and walked three.
Roath was just as good, allowing just one unearned run with three hits, three walks and six strikeouts.
"I have a problem concentrating, usually, but I didn't have that problem today," Roath said. "There was probably one inning where my mind was somewhere else – that one inning where they scored. That was pretty much what happened. I lost my concentration."
Salisbury State (33-13) was eliminated from its first World Series appearance.
