ADRIAN, Mich. -- The Adrian College baseball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Super Regional round on Sunday afternoon, sweeping a pair of games against DePauw University to claim the NCAA Regional Championship at Nicolay Field. The Bulldogs opened the day with a 13-5 victory before erupting for another 13-4 win in the championship game to improve to 35-11 overall.
In the opener, Adrian broke a 1-1 tie with a five-run fourth inning and never looked back en route to a 13-5 victory over the Tigers. The Bulldogs collected 16 hits in the contest, led by a four-hit performance from Rolando Jimenez and three-hit outings from Gabe Jones and Casey Finn. Jake Burns added two hits and two RBI, while Aiden Melvin delivered a two-run homer in the ninth inning to help put the game away.
After scoring an unearned run in the first inning, Adrian exploded in the fourth. Casey Finn started the rally with an RBI single before Jake Burns followed with another run-scoring knock. Jack Boike and Nic Bruder each added RBI groundouts, while Jimenez capped the inning with an RBI single to give the Bulldogs a 6-1 advantage.
Sean Parker earned the win on the mound after tossing seven strong innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out five. Adrian added insurance throughout the late innings, including a six-run ninth inning highlighted by Melvin's homer and a two-run single from Christian Oliver.
Game two saw Adrian rally from an early deficit before erupting for seven runs in the sixth inning to secure the regional title with a 13-4 win.
DePauw struck first with a leadoff home run in the opening inning and later took a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but the Bulldogs responded immediately. Adrian's offense came alive in the sixth, scoring seven runs on six hits to break the game open.
Casey Finn tied the game with an RBI single before Jake Burns followed with another run-scoring hit. Aiden Melvin and Jack Boike added RBI knocks to keep the inning rolling, while Nic Bruder delivered a two-run single and Rolando Jimenez capped the frame with an RBI base hit as Adrian surged ahead 10-4.
Bruder finished game two 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored, while Jimenez drove in three runs of his own. Jake Burns collected three hits, and Jack Boike scored three times while adding three hits and an RBI. Adrian totaled 15 hits in the championship clincher.
Ben Bates earned the victory in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing three hits. The Bulldogs' pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts and turned three double plays defensively.
With the sweep, Adrian captured the NCAA Regional Championship on its home field and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round.
