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Andrews throws a four-hitter in a complete game win for the Rams

Sports Information Department BC

May 11, 2012

Bluefield College Athletics

Bluefield, Virginia

Sports Information Department

Mayfield, Kentucky-

Bluefield College will be making its third trip in four years to the NCCAA Baseball National Championship as the Rams defeated the Mid-Continent Cougars 2-1 in dramatic fashion on Friday in the Mid-East Regionals in Kentucky.

Both teams were ineffective through six full innings of work as both pitchers retired their opponents throughout most of the game, setting up an entertaining final inning.

P Joey Andrews was the starting pitcher for the Rams. Andrews only allowed three hits through the first six innings of play and only one additional hit in the 7^th inning.

In the top of the 7^th, the Cougars opened the inning with a leadoff double by Blair to get the bats going. MC did a good job to advance the runner to third after a sacrifice bunt to set a Cougar in scoring position. With one out, Mid-Continent’s Buford was able to lift a deep left field shot to get the runner across on a RBI sac fly to take a 1-0 lead.

Andrews finished off the side, allowing the Rams to get back into the game only needing a run to tie, two to advance.

The Rams used an opening walk in the bottom half of the seventh to Russell-Myers to make things interesting. Both Gatewood and Hynes singled immediately following - to advance the Bluefield runners into scoring position.

Bluefield was able to get the tying run and even the score at 1-1 after a balk call on starting pitcher Rodriguez with just one out. As a result, the game stayed alive with a chance for the Rams to punch their ticket to Ohio.

The Cougars decided to intentionally walk Kaleb Long to get the bases-loaded for Senior Andrew Dickerson to setup an attempt for an easy force out. After going down with two strikes, Dickerson battled back in the count to allow a good pitch. With the pitch, he drifted a RBI base hit to left hit scoring Joe Gatewood clinching the 2-1 for the Rams.

“Andrews, Gatewood and Dickerson were phenomenal for us today,” exclaimed Assistant Coach Ryan Lambert. “They (Mid-Continent) did a very good job to retire us for most of the game, but our guys stayed with it and it finally paid off.”

Bluefield returns to the ‘promise land’ and earn an automatic berth to the 2012 NCCAA Baseball World Series in Mason, Ohio from May 16-20^th at Frisco Park.

The Rams received solid contribution at the plate Greg Moon (2 for 2) and Joe Gatewood (2 for 3) on the afternoon.  Dickerson picked up the game-winning RBI going one for three.

Andrews got the complete game win on the mound for Bluefield, striking out two batters and didn’t allow a single walk.

The Rams will return to the national championship venue where they have had a load of recent success in the past few seasons. After missing out of Nationals in 2011, Coach White’s side finished as the Runner-Up in 2010 and was crowned the National Champions in 2009.

A full game schedule and bracket of this year’s national championship will be available shortly when all teams have been announced. 

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