ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - For eight years the Apprentice School
baseball team has played in the United States Collegiate Athletic
Association National Championships in St. Petersburg, Fla. They
have been the happy participants, but never brought back the big
one. With a flair for the dramatic, that can now change.
A two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning
from freshman James Denny scored Cato Dixon and J.D. Drewry as the
Apprentice School defeated Presentation College 4-3 for the 2007
USCAA National Championship at Progress Energy Park in St.
Petersburg, Fla. The win matched a school record with 30 victories
on the season and gave the Builders their first ever baseball
championship.
"What a special team this is," said a drenched
Apprentice School Head Coach Bryan Cave following a post-game
dunking of the water cooler. "To come back the way we did against a
team that was on a magic ride themselves in Presentation is
something that anyone associated with this team and school will
always remember. We have come down here with stronger teams, but
the way this team showed so much heart in the last month of the
season, I could not be prouder."
The championship is the first for the Apprentice School baseball
team and the fifth in the history of the school, as the women's
basketball team won two championships from 2000-02, while the men's
basketball team won a pair of titles from 2001-03.
The Saints, from Aberdeen, S.D., advanced to the finals with a
10-run bottom of the seventh inning as they defeated Florida
College 10-9.
Presentation opened the scoring with a run in the top of the
fourth inning as Logan Huber's ground out scored Zach Harry who
started the inning with a single. The Builders answered with a pair
of runs in the bottom of the fourth as Bryce Beale had a one out
double and scored on a Ryan Scott triple to right center. Scott
scored on a sacrifice fly from Jonathan Dehoux for a 2-1 Apprentice
lead.
Junior Joe Tugwell made the lead hold until the seventh inning
when after two outs, David Hermida singled and scored on a Matt
Monson double that tied the score. Harry then singled in Monson to
give the Saints a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Builders started with a
strikeout then Cato Dixon reached base on a throwing error and
advanced to third on a single to right field by J.D. Drewry. A walk
to Eric Polk loaded the bases to set the stage for Denny's heroics.
"It was an incredible feeling rounding third and seeing
everyone jumping up and down which was when I realized he didn't
catch the ball," said Drewry. "I had goose bumps rounding third
seeing the craziness."
Freshman Aaron Penny came in and pitched two innings of relief
to earn his third win of the year. Denny and Kyle Center were
2-for-4 apiece for the Builders. Scott was named the tournament MVP
and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Center, Denny and Mike
Nelson.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL 4, PRESENTATION COLLEGE 3
Presentation 000 100 200 - 3 9 3
Apprentice 000 200 002 - 4 8 1
WP: Penny (3-2); LP: Lokenvitz. Standouts: Presentation, Hermida
3-4 (double), Harry 3-4 (double); Apprentice, Denny 2-4 (2RBIs,
game winning 2-run single bottom 9th); Center 2-4. Records:
Presentation 22-18, Apprentice 30-15.
