ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 24, 1996 TAG: 9605240056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
It almost got lost among the two home runs, 28 strikeouts and 13 innings. In Upper Iowa University's 6-5 victory over Marietta (Ohio) on Thursday in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships at Salem Memorial Stadium, Upper Iowa's Tom Sanchez hit for the cycle, but hardly anyone seemed to notice.
Sanchez liked it that way.
In the 10th inning, with a single, triple and double in his past three at-bats, the senior from Yuba City, Calif., told teammate Gary Mu'min, ``Get on, and the game's over.''
Trailing 5-4, Mu'min grounded out to the shortstop and left the Peacocks with two outs to give. Sanchez followed him in the order and homered down the right field line. Had Mu'min gotten on, it would indeed have been over.
As it was, it took freshman Steve Zeman's single, driving home Armando Raymundo from second, to seal the win for Upper Iowa (37-12) in the 13th inning.
Sanchez became the first player at any level to hit for the cycle at Memorial Stadium. The NCAA does not keep records on players who have hit for the cycle in the tournament.
In the post-game news conference, Sanchez's cycle wasn't mentioned, and when approached later, he didn't want to say much about it. He preferred to talk about Zeman's game-winning hit and the defensive work of infielders Mando Santa Anna and Tommy Martinez. ``We call it `Picasso,''' Sanchez said. ``It's art.''
Upper Iowa's victory, its first in the championship series, overshadowed a stellar pitching performance by Marietta's Bob Davies. Davies pitched 122/3 innings and struck out a series and school-record 16.
Peacock pitcher Joe Smith got the victory with four scoreless innings of relief work.
In other games:
William Paterson (N.J.) 12, Bridgewater (Mass.) State 4: The Pioneers (36-4-1) erased a four-run deficit in the seventh inning to advance to a winners' bracket matchup Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Upper Iowa. The Bears (28-9) meet Marietta (Ohio) today at 3:30 in a losers' bracket matchup.
Pioneers pitcher Brian Appelman improved to 11-0 and became the winningest single-season pitcher in program history.
William Paterson All-American shortstop Brian Lindner went 4-for-4 with five RBI. He is one RBI away from tying Dan Pasqua's single-season school record of 76.
Bridgewater State's Jason Newhall (6-1) pitched 72/3 innings and took the loss.
Methodist (N.C.) 8, Rensselaer (N.Y.) 7: It was a matchup of All-American pitchers in name only. Methodist's Tim Adkins and Rensselaer's Dave Lohrman, both first-team all-Americans, allowed 13 runs in the first three innings.
Methodist reliever Ernie Miller pitched the final 62/3 innings for the victory, his sixth of the season.
The Red Hawks (29-4) tied it at 7 in the fifth when an error by Methodist's Bill Chapman allowed Tom Mustakas to score. The Monarchs, however, got the winning run in the eighth when an error by Mustakas let Chris Culbreth score.
When Monarchs catcher Brian Floyd took second base in the ninth inning, he gave Methodist (35-7) the record for steals in a championship series game with nine. The Monarchs were 9-for-10 for the game.
Wisconsin-Oshkosh 4, Cal Lutheran 0: Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Andrew Kimball, a sophomore named to the all-America second team, threw a two-hitter to beat the Kingsmen. Cal Lutheran didn't get its second hit until the top of the ninth inning on a single to left by pinch hitter Adam Rauch.
No Cal Lutheran players made it to third base and only two made it to second.
Cal Lutheran (30-13-1) will meet Rensselaer (N.Y.) in a losers' bracket game at 7 p.m. today. The Titans (34-4) will be off until 7 p.m. Saturday, when they face Methodist (N.C.) in the winners' bracket.
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL/Staff. Upper Iowa catcher Steve Zeman gets aby CNBlate tag on Marietta's Ryan Williams as he slides safely into home
during the NCAA Division III Baseball Championships at Salem
Memorial Stadium. Upper Iowa won the game 6-5
in 13 innings. color.