ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 30, 1996 TAG: 9605300063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
THE PIONEERS come back to haunt Cal Lutheran and win the NCAA Division III baseball title in Salem.
For some baseball teams, it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime thrill to win a national championship in the last at-bat.
For William Paterson College and coach Jeff Albies, it's already happened twice this decade.
And, against the same opponent, no less.
Only the site was different as the Pioneers scored five runs in the eighth inning Wednesday and held on for a 6-5 victory over California Lutheran University in the NCAA Division III championship game at Salem Memorial Stadium.
``It would be nice to get back here one day without having to face William Paterson,'' said Cal Lutheran coach Marty Slimak, who was an assistant for the Kingsmen in 1992, when they lost to William Paterson 3-1 in the championship game in Battle Creek, Mich.
In that game, Cal Lutheran led 1-0 before Ralph Perdomo of William Paterson hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.
``It's a double-edged sword,'' said Albies, who earlier in the tournament won his 600th game in 23 years at William Paterson. ``I feel for Marty right now. The last time, we shocked them. This time had to shock them also.''
Cal Lutheran freshman Eric Kiszczak had held William Paterson to seven hits and one unearned run before the eighth, when he hit No.9 hitter Dan Egbert to start the inning. Mike Scher followed with a walk before center fielder Mark DeMenna hit a three-run homer to right field.
DeMenna entered the game with a team-high .556 batting average in William Paterson's first four games in the series, but he was 0-for-3 for the day, including a double-play groundout in the seventh.
The home run, the Pioneers' first of the series, barely cleared the 325-foot sign in right field.
``Yeah, I knew it was out,'' said DeMenna, rolling his eyes. ``I mean, c'mon.''
All it did was draw William Paterson to 5-4, however, and Slimak thought so much of Kiszczak's stuff that he didn't visit the mound, choosing instead to mouth encouragement from in front of the dugout.
Kiszczak induced Brian Lindner to ground out before the Pioneers hit three consecutive singles, the last by first baseman Greg Cimilluca, who had struck out in his previous two at-bats and was hitting .158 (3-of-19) for the series.
Two runs scored on the play, including the winner by Brian Kelly, who was called safe as he tried to evade catcher Tom McGee's tag.
McGee protested briefly and Slimak said he wasn't sure Kelly had touched the plate, but it was to no avail. Cal Lutheran, which overcame an opening-game loss to reach the championship game, finished the season with a 34-14-1 record.
Just as there were questions about whether Slimak had stayed with Kiszczak (9-3) too long, Albies left himself open to second-guessing by pulling unbeaten starter Brian Appelman with one out in the fifth inning.
``It was a tough decision,'' Albies said. ``I didn't want to yank Appelman, but I deferred to my pitching coach. They were getting good hacks and [Appelman] didn't have much.''
The move was to Eduardo Gomez, a freshman right-hander who had pitched 10 innings Saturday in William Paterson's 2-1 victory over Upper Iowa. Gomez (8-1) shut down the Kingsmen for the final 42/3 innings to get the victory and finish the series with a 2-0 record and 0.00 ERA.
Gomez was a first-team All-State pitcher for Hoboken High School, but was so distraught over not being drafted and not getting a Division I scholarship offer that he sat out the 1994-95 school year. He also was involved in an automobile accident while out of school.
``After the accident, I think he mostly wanted to make sure he got his insurance money,'' Albies said. ``When he showed up Feb.1 and said he wanted to play, I was as surprised as anybody. I thought he would be somewhere in the student center playing pool.''
William Paterson (39-5-1) became the third school from the New Jersey Athletic Conference to win a Division III championship in Salem this year, joining Rowan (men's basketball) and Trenton State (softball).
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ARNE KUHLMANN Staff 1. Cal Lutheran infielder Seanby CNBSmith (right) is comforted by coach Chadd Cook at Salem Memorial
Baseball Stadium. color.
2. William Paterson players celebrate Wednesday after winning the
school's second NCAA Division III baseball championship.