Capps tosses Trojans past Patriots in regional title game

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Mount Olive (45-8)	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	2
Francis Marion (41-16)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	2
@ Mount Olive, N.C. | NCAA II SE Regional

Pitching
Win: Capps (14-0) - Mount Olive
Loss: Matt Broderick (0-1) - Francis Marion

Mount Olive Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none

Francis Marion Batting
2B: none
3B: none
HR: none

full stats

MOUNT OLIVE, NC – Sophomore right-hander Carter Capps pitched 6.1 scoreless innings in relief allowing second-ranked and top-seeded Mount Olive College to take a heart-stopping 2-1 victory over ninth-ranked and second-seeded Francis Marion University, Sunday afternoon (May 22) in the championship game of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.  FMU had won the first game on Sunday 9-7 to force the "if necessary" championship game.

FMU ends its season at 41-16, equaling the most wins in program history – set in 2006 when Francis Marion advanced to the Division II College World Series.  But in 2011, Mount Olive (45-8) will have the honor of advancing to the World Series in Cary, N.C.

Capps (14-0) entered the game in the bottom of the third inning and limited FMU to three singles. Only nine of his 68 pitches missed the strike zone.  He extended his NCAA Division II national record for consecutive wins to 24.

Mount Olive scored its two runs, both unearned, in the top of the third. Ryan Faison opened the inning by reaching when the first base umpire ruled that FMU starting pitcher Matt Broderick missed first base when he covered on a grounder to first baseman Preston Shuey.  He was sacrificed to second and later scored on an RBI single through the left side by Jacob Rogers. After a pop out, Tyler Smith also drilled a run-scoring single through the left side.

That was all Broderick (0-1) would allow.  Making only his third start of the year, and second in as many days at the regional, the junior southpaw allowed just eight hits in his eight innings, while striking out three and walking only one.  It was his longest outing of the season.

Francis Marion answered in the bottom of the third with a single run to trim the deficit to 2-1.  Seniors Martin Gordon and Tyler Cappelmann both singled and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Jeff Gaston.  Gordon would then score on an RBI infield grounder by freshman third baseman Michael Wilson that was misplayed by the Trojans' shortstop.  The Patriots would later load the bases with two outs, but Capps entered the game and got Preston Shuey, FMU's career RBI leader, to ground out.

In the eighth inning, Wilson singled up the middle and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but Capps retired both Buddy Sosnoskie and Shuey to end the threat.

Wilson and Capplemann both had two hits for Francis Marion.  Five Patriots were named to the All-Tournament Team: Shuey, Cappelmann, Wilson, Gordon, and right-handed pitcher Don Sandifer.

Smith was 3-for-4 to lead Mount Olive, while Rogers was 2-for-4. 

The Patriots nearly took a first inning lead, but Wilson was thrown out at home plate trying to score on a grounder to shortstop.

"It was two great games today," said FMU head coach Art Inabinet.  "We were fortunate to win the first game. The second game was a pitchers' duel between two staffs.  We just came up a little short.

"If you had told me that we would give up two runs, I would have thought that I would be talking to you second (in the interview room) as a winner rather than first.  I am so proud of these kids.  They battled all day, never quit, and have nothing to hang their heads about.  We just got beat by a top draft pick (Capps).

"Their shortstop made a good play in the first."

When asked about his outing, Broderick said, "I just wanted to give my team a chance to win.  I didn't know how long I would go.  I tried to keep them off balance and guessing."  When asked about whether teams like facing soft-throwing lefties, he agreed "Yes they hate that."