Monday’s college baseball game between Indiana University Southeast and Indiana Tech looked like it was over in the sixth inning. Three innings later, the opening round matchup of the NAIA tournament became utterly chaotic.
A nine-run lead completely evaporated in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs!
Let me say that again…
The team that was winning by nine runs through 26 outs of a 27-inning game went on to lose. It was a collapse of epic proportions.
Let’s start at the beginning!
The NAIA does things a little bit differently than the NCAA when it comes to college baseball. 46 teams make the NAIA National Championship Opening Round at 10 host sites across the country. They play a round-robin tournament to determine who advances. Only 10 teams advance to the NAIA Baseball World Series.
This year’s field includes 30 automatic qualifiers, 15 at-large selections and one host berth allocation. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, or regular-season championship or finished runner-up at the conference tournament or regular season as determined by each conference qualification plan. At-large bids were determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee.
Indiana Southeast received an at-large bid as the RSC Tournament runner-up. Indiana Tech won the WHAC Tournament to receive an automatic bid.
College baseball chaos ensued!
Indiana Southeast, the Grenadiers, paired with Indiana Tech, the Warriors, in a 4/5 matchup in the Upland Bracket. The latter got off to a hot start with two runs in the first two innings. They continued to pour it on with a four-spot in the fourth, and three runs in the fifth and sixth.
It was 9-0 through six.
The Grenadiers finally got on the board with one run in both the seventh and eighth innings. However, the Warriors answered with two of their own.
Indiana Southeast stepped up to the plate, down 11-2, in the bottom of the ninth inning. Indiana Tech recorded two quick outs and then completely fell apart. Here is how it all went down:
- Colin Long grounded out to 3b
- Mason White flied out to LF
- Luke Powell reached first on an error
- Kody Putnam singled, Powell advanced to third
- Trevor Goodwin singled, Putnam advanced to third, Powell scored
- Max Flock doubled, Goodwin scored, Putnam scored
- Logan Murphy walked (Alex Yurt pinch runner)
- Ethan Burdette reached on an error, Yurt advanced to second, Flock scored
- Slater Schiled singled, Burdette advanced to second, Yurt scored
- PITCHING CHANGE
- Long walked, Schield advanced to second, Burdette advanced to third
- White walked, Long advanced to second, Schield advanced to third, Burdette scored
- Powell singled, White advanced to third, Schield and Long scored
- Putnam doubled, Powell advanced to third, Schield scored
At that point, the game was tied at 11. The Grenadiers had two runners on base.
Goodwin stepped back into the box and mashed a walk-off home run!
Here’s another look at the game-winner:
Southeast Indiana was down to its final out. It proceeded to erase a nine-run deficit and won by three!