After allowing nine runs in the first inning and trailing 12-2, the Benedictine University baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth but suffered a heart stopping 18-15 loss to the 15th ranked hosts from UW-La Crosse late on Saturday night to bring an end to a record setting season in the NCAA Regional.
Benedictine scored five in the fifth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh to pull within three but the hosts were able to consistently grab one insurance tally to keep just enough distance for the win.
Logan Gregorio,
Kevin Bushnell and
Brennan Fisher all posted three hits, combining to score nine times and drive home nine. Fisher knocked in five.
Ryan Doubek, who had the fourth longest on-base streak in NCAA Division III history end in the regional opener at 78 games, crossed the plate three times while
David Rubin drove home three.
During the three games at the regional, Benedictine scored 36 runs on 45 hits.
Benedictine set a school record with 33 wins, was ranked all year, claimed the program's first ever NACC Tournament title, advanced to the regionals for the first time since 2013 and won a game at the regional for the first time since 2003.
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