FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Shenandoah University claimed its
second straight South Region Baseball title Saturday afternoon with
a 6-4 victory over Salisbury University.
The victory sends the No. 7/9 Hornets (38-8) into next week's
NCAA Baseball Championships at Fox Cities Stadium/Time Warner Field
in Grand Chute, Wis. Shenandoah will meet the winner of the Moline
(Ill.) Regional on Friday, May 28, at 7:45 p.m. CDT.
The Moline Regional champion will be crowned Sunday.
The Hornets jumped all over No. 19 Salisbury (30-13) early,
scoring three runs in the bottom of the second on a three-run
dinger from sophomore Cory Nelson. Nelson
plated both Greg Van Sickler
and Scott Van
Dusseldorp, who had each reached via single.
One inning later, coach Kevin Anderson's club got RBI singles
from tournament Most Outstanding Player Jesse Henry and Van
Dusseldorp to expand the lead to 5-0.
Shenandoah's final run came in the fourth when Keaton Neeb
scored on a steal-stop with Kevin
Brashears.
Freshman Vince Claudio (3-0)
was outstanding, scattering six hits and one run in 6 2/3 of
action. He walked three and struck out six.
After Bobby
Stefanowicz got the Hornets out of the seventh, sophomore Kyle Scallion
recorded the final six outs to send Shenandoah back to Appleton as
South Region Champions. He struck out four, including the last two,
to secure the win.
Nelson and Van Dusseldorp both had two hits to lead the
offense.
In addition to Henry earning MOP honors, Scallion, Van
Dusseldorp, Van Sickler, Claudio, Nelson and Mike Smith all grabbed
spots on the All-Tournament team.
The 38 wins ties a school record (set last year) and ensures
that Shenandoah will at least equal last season's best-ever winning
percentage.
###