May 25, 2008

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APPLETON, Wis. - The Hollywood script included another win for the Black & Gold on Sunday at the Division III World Series as Adrian claimed a 3-2 win over the Scott Brosius-coached Wildcats of Linfield College. With the win, Adrian has now won back-to-back games in the World Series and advanced to the final four. The Bulldogs will play UW-Whitewater in another elimination game on Monday at 1:00 p.m. eastern/noon central.

Junior Nick Sarkissian got the start for Adrian and worked his magic over nine innings. He allowed 12 hits but just one earned run while striking out six picking up his sixth win of the season. Sarkissian showed great control with no walks and pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth to seal the win for Adrian. David Bachofner stepped to the plate with three on and two outs and Sarkissian got him to fly out to deep center to complete the complete game victory. It was Sarkissian's first win on the mound since May 6 in game two at Alma.

The hitting hero for Adrian was sophomore Steve Vanderheyden. He came into the game on a hitting slump but smoked the first pitch he saw with two outs in the bottom of the sixth into the left center gap scoring Nate Sarkissian with the game-winning run. He was Vanderheyden's first RBI of the nationals and his second hit, first for extra bases.

Adrian went down 1-0 in the top of the first on an RBI single by Stew Davis but responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Alex Cowart hit an RBI triple over the right fielder's head to score Sarkissian with the first run. It was his first RBI of the nationals and second hit. Senior Bobby Rickstad then lifted a sacrifice fly to right which scored Cowart. This season, Adrian is outscoring their opponent, 60-20, in the first inning.

Linfield tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning as the ninth-hitter Jordan Boustead hit a hard chopper over the head of third baseman Brian Bilius into left field which scored Kevin Mills with one out. Cameron Larson for Linfield had sat down seven straight batters before Sarkissian's leadoff single in the sixth which started the rally for Adrian. Larson pitched eight innings and allowed six hits, one earned run and no walks with six punchouts.

Cowart was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Davis went 3-for-4 with an RBI for Linfield. Adrian left just three runners on base while Linfield stranded 10. Bilius went 1-for-3 but collected his sixth hit of the nationals which ranks him second among the field of eight teams. He laced a double in the bottom of the second.