The Triton baseball team won its third consecutive NJCAA Region IV championship in an exciting 6-4 win in 11 innings over South Suburban College Saturday in Malta, IL. The regional crown is the 23rd in the history of the program and the fourth under head coach
Harry Torgerson who was awarded Region IV Coach of the Year following the contest. However, winning the region was tough for Torgerson to envision after a 4-17 start.
"It's been a long road from where we were at early in the season," said Torgerson. "We played a tough schedule in order to get through these types of games. Hats off to coach (Steve) Ruzich and South Suburban for the way they battled back to force the if necessary game. This was a great game on both sides to the very end."
The Trojans (34-24) winners of 14 out of their last 15 games will play in the NJCAA Northern District Tournament hosted by Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, IA beginning on Friday at Noon. Triton will draw Region 24A Champion and defending district champs Wabash Valley College. The winner of the four-team double-elimination tournament will advance to the NJCAA JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, CO. District tournament host Iowa Western will match-up against Region 24B champions Olney Central College in the other contest on Friday at 3:00 p.m.
With the game tied in the top of the 11th,
Andy Gaytan ripped a single to right to bring home
Vito Iovino to break the deadlock. Then with two-outs
Keith Kerrigan singled to right to drive home
Dan Gutierrez and give the Trojans a big insurance run. Kerrigan went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBI's as the Ridgewood High School graduate was named tournament most valuable player.
"Keith is arguably my best hitter the last two years," Torgerson said. I mean he's an RBI machine and really surprised (South Suburban) pitched to him, but that's not coach Ruzich's style to walk people. But Keith finds a way to get things done."
Tristan Michaels then pitched his second scoreless inning of relief as the game ended on a fly-out to Kerrigan in right field and the Triton players stormed out of the first base dugout to celebrate the championship.
Jack Snyder got the start for the Trojans and was a workhorse, The sophomore tossed 126 pitches in nine innings allowing four runs, three were earned with eight strikeouts.
"He attacks the hitters well," Torgerson said about Snyder. "He knows how to pitch and perform in those pressure situations. He has done it for us all year and as a freshman last year pitching in some big situations to help us win regionals."
Michael Gunartt also had a pair of hits and RBI's for the Triton offense that pounded out 10 hits and worked seven walks from Bulldog pitching.
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