Adrian, Mich. - Second-seed Adrian used a five-run fourth and a six-run ninth to take a 13-5 win over DePauw and force game seven of the NCAA Division III baseball regional. The Tigers dropped to 30-14, while the Bulldogs improved to 34-11. The two squads meet in a 2:45 p.m. game with the winner advancing to the super regional round.
Adrian's Nic Bruder led off the first by reaching on an error. He then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error on the play. Bruder then scored on a passed ball with two outs.
DePauw evened the score in the third as
Bryson Dorsey led off with a double, moved to third on
Tyler Walkey's sacrifice bunt and scored on
Aidan Howard's single.
The Bulldogs' Christian Oliver led off the fourth with a walk before Jaxon McGuigan was hit by a pitch. Casey Finn singled home Oliver and Jake Burns plated McGuigan with a base hit. After Brendan Willadsen advanced the runners with a sacrifice, Jack Boike reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Finn to score. Bruder followed with an RBI grounder and Rolando Jimenez singled home Boike to make it 6-1.
Adrian added a single run in the seventh with McGuigan reaching after being hit by a pitch, moving to second on Finn's sacrifice and scoring on Burns' single.
DePauw's Quinn Morrow led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, advanced to second on
Nolan Osterling's grounder and scored on Dorsey's ground out.
The Bulldogs added their final six runs in the ninth with Aiden Melvin clubbing a two-run homer, Oliver driving in two with a single and McGuigan and Finn following with RBI singles.
Osterling and Dorsey led off the DePauw ninth with singles and Walkey loaded the bases by drawing a walk. Howard walked and
Max Bond was hit by a pitch before
Grady Johnson drove in Walkey with a sacrifice fly. Adrian turned a double play to end the game.
Howard led DePauw with three of its nine hits with Morrow and Dorsey adding two each. Jimenez had four of Adrian's 16 hits with Gabe Jones and Finn adding three each and Burns finishing with two apiece.
Jamison Lewis dropped to 4-3, while Sean Parker improved to 2-1.
