Box Score (MOUNT BERRY, Ga.) – Sixth-seeded Thomas More College fell, 16-9, to fifth-ranked and second-seeded Birmingham-Southern College today (Saturday, May 21, 2016) in an elimination game of the Mount Berry, Georgia Regional of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship hosted by Berry College at William R. Bowdoin Field.
With the loss, the Saints end the season at 31-12. This was Thomas More's seventh appearance in the NCAA Division Baseball Championships and the fifth-straight it has been regional semifinalist.
Thomas More took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when senior first baseman Donovan Pogue (Sharonville, Ohio/St. Xavier) scored on a Panther error during freshman designated hitter Sean Lawrence's (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) at-bat. Birmingham-Southern plated two runs in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead.
The Saints retook the lead in the bottom of the third at 3-2 when Pogue scored on a wild pitch and junior right fielder Ben Kenning (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) scored on a run batted-in single by senior left fielder Zach Fardo (Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart). Birmingham-Southern scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead.
The Panthers scored two runs in the top of the fifth and extended their lead to 7-3. Birmingham-Southern plated three runs in the seventh to increase the lead to 10-3. Thomas More cut the lead to 10-4 in the bottom of the seventh when Kenning scored on a RBI single by Lawrence. The Panthers extended the lead to 12-4 with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning.
The Saints cut the lead to 12-9 in the bottom of the eighth as sophomore third baseman Bailey Abbatiello (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) scored on a Pogue RBI single, senior shortstop Marcus Woelfel (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison) scored on a Panther error, sophomore second baseman Ben Laumann (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) scored on a SAC fly by freshman catcher Sam Hauer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and then Pogue and Kenning scored on a Lawrence RBI double. Birmingham-Southern answered with four runs in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 16-9.
Thomas More was led at the plate by Lawrence, who was two-for-four with a double and three RBI. Kenning was two-for-five with three runs scored and Pogue was one-for-one with three runs scored and one RBI.
Senior pitcher Brandon Humphrey (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) suffered the loss as he pitched four innings and gave up five runs (all earned) on seven hits and struck out two. Sophomore pitcher Noah Frantz (Crestwood, Ky./South Oldham) pitched two and two-third innings of relief and gave up five runs (three earned) on four hits and striking out two. Freshman pitcher Adam Ruwe (Park Hills, Ky./Covington Catholic) pitched one inning and gave up two runs (both earned) on three hits. Junior pitcher Ken Ruberg (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) pitched one and a third innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out one.
