Story written and posted by Anthony Perry '08, Fisher College Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. – For the first time in program history, the Fisher College Baseball team has earned a spot in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Opening Round as they defeated Xavier University of Louisiana tonight, 12-9.
Following the 2008 season, the NAIA restructured the path to the World Series as they moved away from the regional/super regional format to a nine-site, 45 team opening round. The Falcons, who appeared in four straight NAIA Super Regionals from 2005-2008, received one of the two automatic bids from the conference with the elimination game win this evening (Georgia Gwinnett earned the other automatic bid with their win over Fisher in the winner's bracket championship game).
With the season on the line, the Falcons turned to veteran right-handed junior Christian Dow (Rochester, N.H.) and the upperclassman did not disappoint. Dow was outstanding as he tossed 8.2 innings, allowing nine runs (six earned) while giving up fourteen hits and striking out five. Freshman Angel Colon (Boston, Mass.) was able to escape the wild jam in the ninth to secure the trip to the opening round.
Junior catcher Reynaldo Mejia (Lawrence, Mass.) led the way offensively with a key, clutch bases clearing three-run double in the eighth as he finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and two walks. Classmate Jordan Gosselin (Rochester, N.H.) remained red-hot in the tournament as he added a RBI single in the first to cap his night going 1-for-1 with two runs scored and three walks. Senior Mitchell Lundholm (Plymouth, Mass.) scored three runs on the evening as he went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and a RBI while junior Nicholas Lucchese (Long Island, N.Y.) finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and three walks.
Xavier's 16-hit offensive effort was led by sophomore shortstop Antonio Rodriguez (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico), who was one of three student-athletes to register three hits this evening. Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a run scored as both graduate-student Blair Frederick (New Orleans, La.) and sophomore Michael Sonn (New Iberia, La.) went 3-for-5. Sophomore Jonathan Santos (Tampa, Fla.) also finished with three hits as the second baseman went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI out of the nine hole. Sophomore Courtland Posey (Clinton, Miss.) and junior Co Co Simoneaux (Port Allen, La.) also finished with two RBI each.
XULA sophomore Jamal Allen (Birmingham, Ala.) gave everything he had for the Gold Rush as the tall right-hander pitched well over 120 pitches in his seven inning effort. Jamal Allen allowed six runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out four but it was the nine walks that did him in. Freshman Ryan Kinney (Winter Haven, Fla.) allowed six runs (two earned) without recording an out in the eighth before sophomore Jonathan Allen (Birmingham, Ala.) finished the frame, surrendering one hit.
Notes: Simoneaux made two outstanding defensive plays in centerfield for Xavier as he robbed both Lundholm and Fisher sophomore John Batista (Lawrence, Mass.) of extra bases… Gosselin was able to score all the way from first on a groundball double off the bat of Mejia. Gosselin was running on the pitch and the Falcons received a good bounce of the ball as it went over the shortstop's head to settle in shallow left-center and the speedy Gosselin didn't stop running until he scored…
Fisher will now move on to the A.I.I. Baseball Championship final round tomorrow morning against Georgia Gwinnett. The Falcons must defeat the Grizzlies twice in order to capture their first conference title since 2011 (Sunrise Conference). Game time is set for 11am.