UFTL Athletics
Chris Maple
MOCKSVILLE, NC. – The University of Fort Lauderdale dropped the NCCAA South Region Championship to Carolina University on Thursday afternoon, 12-7, at Mando Field at Rich Park. The Eagles now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid to the National Championship.
Josh Crawford led the charge in end-of-the-year awards, being named the NCCAA South Region Pitcher of the Year. Eight others joined Crawford on the first team: infielders Aderlyn Cubilete and Christian Tavarez, outfielders Wilbert Javier-Vargas and Erik Scott, designated hitter/utility Malachi Woodside and pitchers Jack Keeler and Julian Pichardo. Second-team honorees: Drew Powell as an infielder and Justin Martinez in the outfield.
Javier-Vargas was 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, a home run, and a double and Woodside went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Alexi Angelo was 1-of-2, Jake Cace went 1-for-3 with a run, Martinez was 1-of-3 with a run and a walk, Scott went 1-for-2 with two RBI, a run and a home run, and Tavarez went 1-of-3 with two RBI, a run and a home run.
Keeler (0-2) got the start, pitching 1.0+ innings. He surrendered seven runs, four earned on four hits and a walk, with a strikeout. Anthony Anselmo threw an inning, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk with a strikeout. Jacob Laroque pitched 4.0 innings giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three.
Carolina would get a run in the first and eight in the second to build an early 9-0 lead.
Scott led off the third with a solo home run, Martinez singled, and Tavarez connected on a two-run home run to center to trim the score to 9-3.
CU got a run back in the third to extend the lead to 10-3.
In the fourth, Chase Davis started the fourth with a walk. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on a single by Cace. Angelo singled, moving Cace to third, Scott hit a sacrifice fly to score Cace and Javier-Vargas hit a two-run home run to center to bring the game within three at 10-7.
In the sixth, the Bruins added two runs and took the game 12-7.