FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL
Friday, May 7, 1999

ETOWN RALLIES FOR SIX RUNS IN NINTH TO DEFEAT DREW, 9-5; BLUE JAYS WILL FACE WIDENER FOR MAC CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Trailing 4-3 heading into the ninth inning, Elizabethtown rallied for six runs to defeat Drew, 9-5, in their Middle Atlantic Conference playoff game on Friday and advance to Saturday's MAC championship game against Widener University.  The Pioneers defeated FDU-Madison, 10-3, and Drew, 4-1, on Friday to fight through the MAC loser's bracket.  Game time is 10 a.m. at Lebanon Valley College.

Chris Turtell (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) went 2-for-5 including a two-run triple in the ninth to knock in the tying and go-ahead runs for Etown, which improved to 27-9.  Scott Weigle (Somerset, Pa./Somerset) scattered 11 hits over 8-2/3 innings and struck out five to improve to 7-0 on the season.

Steve MacKinnon went 2-for-5 with two runs scored to lead the Rangers, who outhit the Blue Jays 11-9 on the day but also committed seven errors.  John Foerch suffered his second loss of the season for Drew (19-17), allowing seven hits and three earned runs while fanning five over 8-1/3 innings.

Having watched the Rangers rally for two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Etown entered the ninth trailing by a run and facing the prospect of a long climb out of the MAC loser's bracket.

With one out, Brad Karli (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) lofted a fly ball to leftfield that was dropped for a two-base error.  Shawn Price (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) followed with a single to put runners on the corners and Turtell drove a triple to the gap in right-centerfield that put the Blue Jays back on top, 5-4.

With Chris LaFontaine on in relief of Foerch, Tyler Comp (Enola, Pa./East Pennsboro) reached on an infield error that knocked in Turtell to make it 6-4 and Weigle took second on another dropped fly ball.   Comp then scored on a wild pitch and Chris Romig (Beavertown, Pa./West Snyder) roped a double down the third base line to plate Weigle and give Etown an 8-4 cushion.

With two outs and Jared Ness (McPherson, Ks./McPherson) at the plate, Romig came around on two more wild pitches to close out the six-run rally.

The Rangers scored once in the ninth on a double by Eric Laub, but Bryan Pittinger (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) came on in relief of Weigle and struck out pinch-hitter Russell Marino to end the game and send the Blue Jays to Saturday's championship tilt.

Drew took a one-run lead into the final frame thanks to a two-run rally in their half of the eighth.

With two outs, Brian Gable reached on a throwing error and John Cevallos followed with a single to put runners on the corners.  Justin Marcucci then drove a Weigle offering to the gap in left-center that chased home pinch-runner Tom Brogan and Cevallos to give the Rangers a 4-3 lead.

Laub, Gable and Cevallos added two hits apiece for Drew.  Romig went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored for the Blue Jays, who are ranked seventh in the Mid-Atlantic region and remain in the hunt for a berth in the NCAA regional tournament.

Etown will play for its third MAC championship of the '90s on Saturday.  The Blue Jays also won conference titles in 1993 and 1997 and last advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1994.

Etown and Widener split their regular-season MAC Commonwealth League doubleheader on May 1 at Elizabethtown.  The Pioneers won the opener, 4-2, before the Blue Jays captured game two, 7-4.  If Widener wins the first game on Saturday, the two teams will play again for the title at 2:30 p.m.
 

MAC Playoffs, Game #4	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	-	R	H	E
Elizabethtown (27-9)	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	6	-	9	9	3
Drew (19-17)	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	1	-	5	11	7

Scott Weigle, Bryan Pittinger (9) and Kiah Sheppard; John Foerch, Chris LaFontaine (9) and Justin Marcucci. WP: Weigle (7-0). LP: Foerch (7-2). SO-BB: Weigle 5-1, Pittinger 1-0, Foerch 5-1, LaFontaine 0-0. 2B: Chris Romig (E) 2, Jared Ness (E), Steve MacKinnon (D), Steve Novak (D), Eric Laub (D), Marcucci (D). 3B: Chris Turtell (E).