Mavericks Walk Off Winners in Championship Opener
May 25, 2007 | Baseball
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Matt Eikmeier's walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning catapulted the University of Nebraska-Omaha to a 5-4 win over No. 3 Kutztown in the opening game of the Division II NCAA Baseball Championship.
The Mavericks (37-22) and Golden Bears (49-6) battled back and forth through nine innings as the game evolved from a pitchers' duel to a see-saw offensive battle.
UNO got on the board first, as Tim Huber lined a single up the middle to drive in Evan Porter, who reached on a walk. Mavs starting pitcher Tyler Cloyd allowed only two hits while striking out eight through five innings. But Kutztown's bats came alive in the sixth, plating two runs. The Mavericks got the run right back as Chris Weimer bombed a home run down the left-field line to lead off the inning. It was his 18th homer of the year, extending his own team single-season record.
Kutztown answered for another run in the top of the seventh, but the Mavs scored two more in the bottom of the inning when Bryan Frew stroked an RBI triple to center field, then scoring on a Weimer sac fly.
Huber, who had traded places with Cloyd, moving from first base to the mound, came within one strike of ending the game in the ninth, but the North Atlantic Champion Bears scratched out a run to tie it up.
Shawn Smith threw a scoreless 10th to earn the win, improving to 3-2. Matt Keller (6-2) took the loss, surrendering Eikmeier's blast.
The Mavericks move into the winner's bracket, next playing Sunday evening at 6:33 against the winner of the Tampa-Cal State Los Angeles game.
Due to a conflict with the NASCAR broadcast, the game will be joined in progress on KBLR 97.3 FM at the conclusion of the race. But fans can hear the game in its entirety via the Web feed at gomavs.unomaha.edu.
Kutztown ... 000 002 101 0 -- 4 11 1
UNO ........ 010 001 200 1 -- 5 12 0
WP: Shawn Smith (3-2)
LP: Matt Keller (6-2)
2B: KU, McCardell(7), Kulbacki (4).
3B: UNO, Frew (3).
HR: UNO, Weimer (18), Eikmeier (4).
The Mavericks (37-22) and Golden Bears (49-6) battled back and forth through nine innings as the game evolved from a pitchers' duel to a see-saw offensive battle.
UNO got on the board first, as Tim Huber lined a single up the middle to drive in Evan Porter, who reached on a walk. Mavs starting pitcher Tyler Cloyd allowed only two hits while striking out eight through five innings. But Kutztown's bats came alive in the sixth, plating two runs. The Mavericks got the run right back as Chris Weimer bombed a home run down the left-field line to lead off the inning. It was his 18th homer of the year, extending his own team single-season record.
Kutztown answered for another run in the top of the seventh, but the Mavs scored two more in the bottom of the inning when Bryan Frew stroked an RBI triple to center field, then scoring on a Weimer sac fly.
Huber, who had traded places with Cloyd, moving from first base to the mound, came within one strike of ending the game in the ninth, but the North Atlantic Champion Bears scratched out a run to tie it up.
Shawn Smith threw a scoreless 10th to earn the win, improving to 3-2. Matt Keller (6-2) took the loss, surrendering Eikmeier's blast.
The Mavericks move into the winner's bracket, next playing Sunday evening at 6:33 against the winner of the Tampa-Cal State Los Angeles game.
Due to a conflict with the NASCAR broadcast, the game will be joined in progress on KBLR 97.3 FM at the conclusion of the race. But fans can hear the game in its entirety via the Web feed at gomavs.unomaha.edu.
Kutztown ... 000 002 101 0 -- 4 11 1
UNO ........ 010 001 200 1 -- 5 12 0
WP: Shawn Smith (3-2)
LP: Matt Keller (6-2)
2B: KU, McCardell(7), Kulbacki (4).
3B: UNO, Frew (3).
HR: UNO, Weimer (18), Eikmeier (4).
Players Mentioned
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