MSU defeats SCSU 5-4 for DII Central Region baseball championship

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Minnesota State baseball players celebrate after beating St. Cloud State 5-4 in the NCAA Division II Central Region championship game Sunday at Franklin Rogers Park. Pat Christman
Minnesota State's Matt Kuchenbecker celebrates after sliding under the tag of St. Cloud State catcher Michael Jurgella to score the go ahead run in the top of the ninth inning during their NCAA Division II Central Region championship game Sunday at Franklin Rogers Park. Pat Christman

May 20, 2012

MSU defeats SCSU 5-4 for DII Central Region baseball championship

By Chad Courrier The Free Press The Mankato Free Press Sun May 20, 2012, 06:05 PM CDT

MANKATO — There were times when Mahlon Zimmermann didn't think he was going to pitch this season.

The Minnesota State junior thought he had a stress fracture in his plant foot, something that had bugged him for more than a year, and he sat out through the first 37 games of the season.

But since making his first appearance April 29, the righthanded sidearmer has been getting stronger and more confident. On Sunday, in the championship game of the Central Region baseball tournament, he came into the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with a runner on first and no outs.

"I was kind of surprised because (Nick) Sutherland has been huge for us (as the closer) all year, and I had been in kind of a set-up role," Zimmermann said. "I thought they'd go to him again, but I was happy to hear them call my name. When I got the call, I knew I had to be ready."

Zimmermann only threw three pitches, but that was enough to get the final three outs, setting off a celebration as Minnesota State defeated St. Cloud State 5-4 to win the Central Region tournament and earn a berth into the Division II World Series, which begins Saturday, for the second time in three years.

"I really wanted to go back with this group of seniors," Zimmermann said. "These are some of my best buds.

"After I saw (Matt Kuchenbecker) field that last ball cleanly, I just ran over to first base to make sure the throw got there. It seemed like it took a million years for the ball to get there. I guess he took his sweet time making the throw."

Zimmermann, who was considering a medical redshirt, decided to get a second opinion on his foot in mid-April. The team was having success, and it seemed like there was a chance for something special to happen this season.

His second diagnosis was a benign tumor on one of the bones in his foot, which will require surgery this summer, but the doctors told him that playing wouldn't make the condition any worse.

"That was the news I want to hear," he said.

He had a couple of rough outings early but has been getting better each time out. He got the save in the championship game of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament last weekend and got the final three outs Sunday for his 13th career save, with nine last year. The plan was to hold back Sutherland, who has 13 saves, for a possible start in the "if necessary" game.

"All year long, we've been trying to get Nick into the rotation," Minnesota State coach Matt Magers said. "When (Zimmermann) was out, he didn't throw at all because he couldn't put any weight on his foot, so his April was like January.

"With Mahlon healthy, we are going game by game. My goal is to just get three outs at the end of the game."

Sunday's game had a lot of fireworks early. St. Cloud State's Brian Hansen hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, and the Mavericks answered in the second inning with a bases-loaded walk to Lucas Skjefte, and Nolan Johnson scored on a wild pitch.

In the third, Matt Odegaard doubled and later scored on Jeremy Sudbeck's sacrifice fly.

The Huskies (48-14), the second seed in the tournament, got that run back in the bottom of the third when Sean Borman's single scored Garrett Fischer, who had doubled.

Minnesota State scored without a hit in the fourth. Outfielder Cory Glieden, batting .188 and making only his seventh start of the season, was hit by a pitch, and he took second on an infield out. He took third on a wild pitch, then scored when the catcher's throw went into the outfield.

The winning run also scored without a hit. Kuchenbecker and Pat Dockendorf both walked to lead off the ninth, and Odegaard was hit by a pitch. Mike Eckhart flew out to left-center, and Kuchenbecker tagged, diving into the front of home plate to avoid the catcher's tag and reaching with his right hand to sweep the plate for the run.

'It was a bang-bang play," Magers said. "All year, our attitude has been to be aggressive and make things happen. Matt made a great slide."

It was the Mavericks" third win of the tournament in their final at-bat.

"Every game we've played with St. Cloud has been close," Magers said. "It comes down to one play here or one play there. All season, you work on things so you can find a way to win. This team finds ways to win."

After reliever Bryce Bellin, who pitched three scoreless innings and allowed only one hit, walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth, Zimmermann came on. His first pitch was bunted, advancing the runner, and the next two pitches resulted in grounders, with shortstop Connor McCallum making a nice play for the second out.

"It was nothing new for me; I did it all last year," Zimmermann said. "Just throw strikes and get ground balls."

The Mavericks (48-10) will play in the World Series at 5 p.m. Saturday, taking on the champion from the East Region, either Southern New Hampshire or LeMoyne, at Cary, N.C.

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