Wake Tech baseball wins Region 10 Championship, punches ticket to World Series
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 1 |
KINSTON, N.C. — Wake Tech baseball was crowned Region 10 Division II and NJCAA South Atlantic District Champions, after defeating Brunswick 12-8 in Tuesday's winner-take-all championship round game. The win marks the team's first ever Region 10 title, and they have now clinched their first ever berth to the NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series, which takes place later this month in Enid, Oklahoma. They finish the tournament with a 5-1 record, including four wins against nationally-ranked opponents.
Ayden Sumner got the ball to start, going four strong innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out three.
The game was tight early on, with the score tied at one through four innings. Brunswick scored first in the third on an error, but a Colton Mayes RBI single in the top of the fourth brought home Nick Schultz to tie it.
Tim Pate took over in the fifth, and pitched three innings in relief.
The Eagles grabbed the lead in the fifth, plating three. A double from Jackson Jones with the bases loaded brought home three.
Two more runs came home in the sixth on a single from Blake Gaffney, scoring Brendan Fulcher and Jentz Steiner.
Further insurance came in the seventh, when a sac fly from Fulcher scored Jones. A Cameron Rickabaugh ground out scored Mayes to make it 8-1.
Brunswick began to mount a come back in the later innings, scoring two in the bottom of the seventh, and three in the eighth, making it 8-6 headed into the final frame.
Wake Tech added four more runs in the ninth, giving them the breathing room needed to seal the victory. Blake Russell drew a walk with the bases loaded, followed by an RBI base hit from Gaffney and a two-run hit from Schultz to make it 12-6.
Grayson McDonald, who recorded his first career save in yesterday's game against Brunswick, was given the ball for the bottom of the ninth. While the Dolphins managed to score two, McDonald closed the door and finished his second game in as many days, clinching the game and championship for Wake Tech.
Since April 11, the Eagles are 16-2, including a nine-game winning streak that was the longest since 2018. They are now 31-22 on the season, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time since 2017.
The World Series starts May 23, running through May 30. Brackets and matchups will be announced on the NJCAA Network on Tuesday, May 19 at 5:30 PM ET.
