EASLEY, S.C. - Baseball coach Mike White gained coaching victory 400 and the Rams won their opening game in the 2019 NCCAA World Series in dramatic fashion Wednesday afternoon, defeating the seventh seed College of the Ozarks (Ark.) 6-5 in 11 innings at Alice Park.
On gaining the milestone victory White said, "I am blessed to work at a great college with unbelievable support and have had some very good players over the years. None of this would have been possible without them."
The Rams took the lead 1-0 in the fourth inning as Andreas Holtzer singled home Ozzie Millet. COTO tied the game in the fifth only to see BC retake the lead in the sixth when Millet singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Lenyn Napoleon doubled, then raced home on a Holtzer double to make it 3-1. Ozarks then scored three in the seventh to take the lead and added a run in the eighth to lead 5-3.
The Rams rallied in the ninth as Edgardo Bernard opened the frame with a double and went to third on a sacrifice by Carlos Torres. Jordan Huntley's sac fly made it a 5-4 game. Jose Santana reached on a Bobcats' error and later scored on a Napoleon single, knotting the game at five. The Rams had the winning run at third with two out, but could not move it ahead 90 feet and the game went to extra innings.
In the 11th Huntley singled and moved to third on Santana's single. He raced home with the game-winning run on Millet's sacrifice fly.
Cody Gardere picked up the win as he pitched the final four innings for the Rams. Gardere allowed three hits. Nathan Cutler worked the first seven innings for BC and struck out eight Ozark batters.
Millet led Bluefield at the plate with three hits, while Napoleon and Holtzer each had a pair of safeties. Holtzer knocked in two runs.
The Rams, the tournament's No. 2 seed, are back in action at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Trinity Christian College of Illinois, seeded sixth.