APACHES WIN REGION XIV BASEBALL TITLE

Taylor Broadway struck out Dominic Sere with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to preserve Tyler Junior College's 9-8 victory over Coastal Bend on Saturday in Beeville, clinching the Region XIV baseball championship.

TJC (31-20) improved to 4-3 in conference play, finishing one game ahead of the 3-4 Cougars (30-22) and thus earning the right to host the District C Tournament beginning May 18 at Mike Carter Field. The winner of the tournament advances to the NJCAA Division III World Series beginning May 27 in Greeneville, Tennessee.

The Apaches needed one victory in South Texas to win Region XIV after taking three games of a four-game series in Tyler. However, the Cougars won a doubleheader on Friday, 6-4 and 8-7, to force the winner-take-all game.

With TJC leading by one run, Broadway, a freshman from Cypress, pitched the final two innings to garner his second save of the season. After striking out the side in the eighth, Broadway took the mound in the ninth.

Oscar Resendez opened the ninth with a single but Broadway induced Marcel Carter to fly out to second baseman Matt Mikusek. Henry Hausman singled, placing men at first and second.

Broadway punched out Austin Eschenburg for the second out. But the Cougars loaded the bases when Gabriel Murillo singled.

Broadway then struck out Sere on a 2-2 pitch for the win. Broadway hurled two innings, striking out five.

Broadway was also a star at the plate, belting a home run, along with a double and single for four RBIs. He was one of four Apaches with three hits - Jarrod Wells, Jarel McDade and Jordan Trahan were the others.

Wells, a sophomore from Houston, had two doubles and a single with McDade, a sophomore from Magnolia, adding two singles, a double and an RBI.

Trahan, the Apaches' cleanup hitter, had a home run, two singles and three RBIs. Trahan is a sophomore power hitter from Liberty.

Beau Buesing, a sophomore from Grapevine, added two hits, including a home run and a single with Blaze Beason (freshman, Plano) and Tyler Abney (freshman, Lufkin) adding singles.

The Apaches led 4-0 before the Cougars scored four runs in the third and three in the fourth to take a 7-4 lead. TJC then scored four in the fifth for an 8-7 lead, but Coastal Bend tallied a run in the bottom of the inning for an 8-8 tie.

TJC took the lead for good in the top of the sixth as Beason singled to open the inning. Beason advanced to second on Mikusek's sacrifice bunt. After an out, McDade's single plated Beason for the 9-8 lead.

Hausman led the Cougars with three hits with Resendez, Murillo, Austin Johnson and Athen Schultz adding two hits apiece.

Marco Gutierrez (1-0) got the win on the mound, the third of four TJC pitchers. Austin Cernosek (3 1/3 innings), AbeRee Heibert (1 inning), Gutierrez (2 2/3 innings) and Broadway (2 innings) also pitched for TJC.

TJC returns to play May 13-14 at Mike Carter Field, hosting North Arkansas College in a three-game series. The game May 13 is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a doubleheader on tap May 14 with the first contest slated to start at noon.

The Apaches have won three straight national championships and four overall.

Link to article at ETFinalScore.com:
http://www.etfinalscore.com/ET-TJC/282132/apaches-win-region-xiv-baseball-title