Pirkle and Dewald carry Bobcats past FMU in regional title game

FLORENCE, SC – In a tournament where scoring runs was at a premium, junior catcher Richard Pirkle homered twice, including a grand slam, to back a complete-game shutout by senior right-hander Martin Dewald as ninth-ranked and third-seeded Georgia College & State University beat sixth-ranked and top-seeded Francis Marion University 9-0, Sunday afternoon (May 16) in the championship game of the 2010 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.

The Bobcats (39-15) advance to the Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C., where they will face UC San Diego on May 22 at 5 p.m.  It will be GCSU’s second appearance in the World Series.

Francis Marion, which was hosting the regional for the first time ever, ends its season at 40-14, the second-most wins in team history.

GCSU scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to build a 3-0 advantage.  Pirkle then lifted a first-pitch offering from Patriot reliever Patrick Mincey over the left field fence with one out in the fifth and the bases loaded to more than double the margin to 7-0.  He added a solo homer in the seventh.

Pirkle ended the game 2-for-4 with three runs scored and five runs batted in and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Dewald (11-2) recorded his second complete-game win of the regional and was named the Most Valuable Player.  On Sunday, he allowed only six hits, struck out eight, and walked no one.  

FMU senior southpaw Jeremiah Meiners (6-2) was the losing pitcher, as he allowed three runs (two earned) in 3.1 innings.

Patriot shortstop Barrett Kleinknecht, who was also named to the All-Tournament Team, was 2-for-4 with a double and catcher Logan Bland was 2-for-3.

In addition to Pirkle, GCSU center fielder Sean Harrell, left fielder Shawn Ward, and second baseman Jayson Veyna all collected two hits apiece.  Veyna, Ward, and shortstop Chandler Snell were all named to the All-Tournament Team.

QUOTES:

GCSU pitcher Martin Dewald:

“I wanted the ball today, that’s why I wanted to pitch in the first game so I could go again on Sunday.  I want to go for as long as I can every time out there. I don’t like giving the ball away.”

GCSU head coach Tom Carty:

“The guys played great baseball for four days, good team baseball.  We knew we were capable of this back in August, and we just kept working toward getting at this level. Having a chance to get to the World Series has been a goal, and now we have the opportunity to win a National Championship.”

GCSU catcher Richard Pirkle:

“The reliever had given (Shawn) Ward three straight sliders, so I was looking breaking pitch up there (said Pirkle of the grand slam). To be honest I didn’t know where it went after I hit it, I just heard the roar from everybody and saw the leftfielder going back to the fence.”

FMU head coach Art Inabinet:

Today, they were much better than we were.  The better team won.  We just never competed.  Their pitcher (Dewald) just shut us down. He totally controlled the game, even when we got a runner to third in the ninth inning, he wasn’t going to let us score.  He put it on us.  He is a breaking ball pitcher and a guy like that can come back on short rest.

Our success over the past two seasons can be placed on this senior class.  Having compiled 78 wins over the past two years, this group will be sorely missed.

Regional Tournament MVP:  Martin Dewald, RHP, Georgia College & State University

All-Tournament Team:  RHP-Martin Dewald (Georgia College & State University), RHP-Thomas Campbell (Columbus State University), RHP-SS Barrett Kleinknecht (Francis Marion University), C-Richard Pirkle (Georgia College & State University), 1B-John Bolding (Erskine College), 2B-Jason Veyna (Georgia College & State University), SS-Chandler Snell (Georgia College & State University), 3B-Cameron Griffin (Columbus State University), OF-Ryan Lewis (Columbus State University), Alex Montes (Columbus STate University), Shawn Ward (Georgia College & State University).