Heart Breaking Loss in Terre Haute for the Berg

The Heidelberg College baseball team, led by head coach Matt Palm, fell 8-7 in the final game of the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Tournament Championship round in Terra Haute, Ind. The men beat Adrian College 8-2 earlier in the day, but lost to the Bulldogs 8-7 in the final game. Heidelberg finishes the season with a record of 41-10, the most wins ever by the program.

It not only turned out to be the final game of the year for the Berg, but also the final game in the collegiate careers of pitcher Steve Calevro (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg), pitcher Andrew McFarland (Mansfield, Ohio / Madison), and designated hitter  Cody James (Belle Center, Ohio / Benjamin Logan). James went 1-for-3 during the contest, with one run and two RBIs, while Calevro tossed 1.1 innings in middle relief, allowed one hit, walked one, and did not allow any runs.

Heidelberg posted two runs in the second inning to take an early, with Adrian adding one of its own directly after in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the third, the Berg drove in three across the plate when James tripled to right center, allowing Gar Keen (Fredericktown, Ohio / Highland) to cross the plate, followed by Jason Lash (Strongsville, Ohio / Strongsville) who doubled to center scoring James. Lash scored the third run when Matt Grassley (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) singled to left. All three runs were unearned.

Adrian came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs plated four runs to tie the game. Heidelberg answered immediately with two runs of its own in the top of the fifth. James grounded out to first to pick up the first RBI of the inning, while Lash singled up the middle allowing the second to score.

Both teams kept the bats silent at the plate through the next three innings and through the top of the ninth. Unfortunately for Heidelberg, a team that truly gave its all during the game, Adrian managed to slip three earned runs across the plate for the game.

Andy Lowe (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll), who came in as relief in the final inning, picked up the loss for Heidelberg.

Earning a spot on the all-regional tournament team was the freshmen Lash and Willie Brechun (Clinton, Ohio / Canton Central Catholic) and sophomore Everett Thomas (Evansville, Ind. / Harrison).