Millington, Tenn.--The third time' s a charm, so it' s said, and it was for Delaware Tech' s baseball team.
The Roadrunners, in their third NJCAA appearance, won their first NJCAA Division II World Series 3-1 over Phoenix (Ariz.) Community College, Thursday, May 31, at USA Stadium.
Mark Comolli pitched 8.1 innings of four-hit baseball and struck out nine. Comolli (10-2) won his second game of the tournament and fanned 20 in 17.1 innings to earn the tournament Most Valuable Player award.
In the championship game against Phoenix, Delaware Tech made it 3-0 in the sixth on David Engle' s bases loaded single.
Delaware Tech (40-5) won all four of their games in the tournament, beating Phoenix 2-0 in the opening round. Comolli struck out 11 and allowed only three hits, hurling a complete game shutout, his third of the season.
Delaware Tech opened the scoring against Phoenix in the top of the third when Tyler Brock singled, scoring Matt Albano. The Roadrunners extended their lead to 2-0 on an unearned run in the eighth. With two outs, Nate Husser singled down the third base line, but a low throw to first from Phoenix third baseman Lanze Valez allowed Husser to advance to second.
Delaware Tech catcher David Engle then singled to score Husser. Engle was 3-for-4 in the game, while Keith Brock went 3-for-3 for the Roadrunners.
Brian Elder (9-1) pitched a complete-game six hitter and Justin Clark launched a two-run homer, as the Roadrunners defeated Parkland (Ill.) Community College 7-1 in the winner' s bracket on Sunday, May 27.
Tyler Brock had a two-run single, Jay Balback was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Keith Brock was 2-for-2 against Parkland.
In the shortest game of the 2001 tournament, Delaware Tech batted around in both the second and third innings, defeating Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College 11-1, in a match up shortened to five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Twice, Delaware Tech batters were walked with the bases loaded to force in runs. Delaware Tech erupted for six runs in the second and five in the third. Nate Husser lashed a double to score two runs and three runs scored on a bases-loaded Jay Balback double.
Travis Timmons (9-1) went all five innings for Delaware Tech, allowing only five Grand Rapids hits.
Husser, designated hitter, David Engle, catcher, and Comolli were named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Tournament Coach Award was given to Head Coach Curtis Brock as was the National Baseball Division II Coach of the Year for 2001.
The Roadrunners became the eighth championship team in nine years to sweep four games while winning the title.
June 4, 2001
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