May 23-30, 2009
USA Baseball National Training Complex - Cary, N.C.
Hosted by Town of Cary and Mount Olive College

National Championship Game
May 30 - Noon (Eastern)
Live On CBS College Sports

National Championship Game

Lynn 2, Emporia State 1
Boxscore

Starting pitcher Dan Wright overcame a first-inning run and tournament Most Outstanding Player Tommy Kahnle retired all six batters he faced in relief as Lynn claimed its first-ever Division II baseball national title with a 2-1 victory over Emporia State in the championship game of the 2009 NCAA Division II Baseball National Finals Saturday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Kahnle posted a 1-0 record with two saves at the National Finals, retiring 21 of the final 22 batters he faced, including the last 13 in a row.

Lynn finishes the season with a record of 46-16, while Emporia State closes with a 49-14 mark.

Emporia State starting pitcher Ben Graham (8-4) escaped trouble in the top of the first after Lynn put runners on first and second with one out. Leadoff batter Douglas Toro reached on a bunt single and Daniel Flores was hit by a pitch one out later. Graham, who got a strikeout for the first out, struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

Emporia State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, Wright’s defensive play helped limit the Hornets to a single run. Connor Crumbliss led off with a single to center and after a sacrifice, Wright walked the next two batters. Kellen Lane, whose ninth-inning walk-off home run Thursday sent Emporia State to the championship game, lined the ball off of Wright’s left shoulder. Wright recovered to throw Lane out at first as Crumbliss crossed the plate for the game’s first run.

Lynn answered in the top of the second as Paddy Matera’s leadoff double and Kyle Holloway’s single put runners on the corners with nobody out. Matera came home on Chad Crowe’s sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1.

The Fighting Knights went on top in the third as Flores singled with one out and stole second. Chris Chavez singled down the right field line one out later to bring in Flores. Chavez’s rbi-single would prove to be the game-winner.

Emporia State threatened in the second on Jacob White’s one-out triple and again in the third on back-to-back two-out singles, but was unable to capitalize. Wright retired eight consecutive batters before giving up a one-out single to Lane in the sixth. The Hornets had runners on first and third with two outs, but Lynn right fielder Jason Ten Eyck robbed White of a run-scoring hit with a sliding catch on a fly ball to shallow right.

Lynn had a chance to add to its lead in the top of the seventh after one-out singles by Toro and Einar Atencio. But Graham got out of the jam on a strikeout and Gabe MacDougall’s fly out to the warning track in center. The Fighting Knights had runners on first and second with two outs in the eighth, but Graham stopped the rally with his career-high 10th strikeout of the game.

Wright (15-2) scattered six hits and benefitted from a close call to end the bottom of the seventh. Conner Crumbliss singled with one out and attempted to steal second one out later. Crowe fielded catcher Kyle Holloway’s throw and Crumbliss was called out at second.

Kahnle entered the game to start the eighth and got two groundouts after Ten Eyck caught Kenny Burkhead’s fly ball to the warning track on the right field line. Kahnle retired the first two batters n the ninth on a pop out to short and a fly out to shallow center. Second baseman Paddy Matera caught a pop fly for the final out to give the Fighting Knights the championship.

Graham, whose previous high strikeout total was nine, allowed nine hits in eight innings.

Kahnle was among five Lynn players selected to the All-Tournament Team, joined by Wright, Crowe, Flores and MacDougall. Graham, Lane and White represented Emporia State on the All-Tournament Team. Also selected were Spencer Sobol of Belmont Abbey, Daniel Pembroke of Dowling and Josh Tanner of UC San Diego.

Saturday’s contest marked the fifth time in the 42-year history of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship that the title game was decided by one run.

All-Tournament Team
Catcher: Spencer Sobol, Belmont Abbey
First Base: Daniel Pembroke, Dowling
Second Base: Jacob White, Emporia State
Third Base: Josh Tanner, UC San Diego
Shortstop: Chad Crowe, Lynn
Outfield: Kellen Lane, Emporia State
Outfield: Gabe MacDougall, Lynn
Outfield: Daniel Flores, Lynn
Pitcher: Ben Graham, Emporia State
Pitcher: Dan Wright, Lynn
Pitcher: Tommy Kahnle, Lynn
Most Outstanding Player: Tommy Kahnle, Lynn

Quotes
“These guys kept believing in each other. They pick each other up when things are down and that's the reason we were in this position today, because they're relentless in picking each other up and pulling for each other. What a great experience, and I'm happy to be a part of this special group of guys.”
Lynn head coach Rudy Garbalosa.

“Tommy (Kahnle) was a starter the whole year, and we just moved him to the bullpen for regionals. He's kind of really taken that role and run with it. It's actually a blessing now. I think having him pitch as a starter throughout the season gave him the experience that he needed to be a closer. He has the stuff to be a closer and he has the stuff to be a starter as well. But I think the experience of having started all year made him that much more effective as a closer.”
Rudy Garbalosa on relief pitcher and tournament Most Outstanding Player Tommy Kahnle.

“I knew I struggled all season, so I had to come in and prove something. I came in and threw strikes, kept the ball down, and showed what I can do.”
Lynn reliever and tournament Most Outstanding Player Tommy Kahnle. Kahnle, who entered the National Finals with a 5.04 earned average, pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in three relief appearances at Cary.

“It feels great. It's a big accomplishment and everyone did just a phenomenal job. It's been like that all year, we just believe in one another. I'm speechless, I'm just kind of soaking this all in.”
Lynn shortstop and All-Tournament selection Chad Crowe.

“I was just trying to throw strikes, because I wanted to give my team a chance to win. For the seniors, this is their last year, so I had to do it for them.”
Lynn starting pitcher and All-Tournament selection Dan Wright. Wright was 2-0 in two starts at the National Finals.

“We’ve got to keep our heads up, nothing to hang our heads about. We had an incredible year. That’s a great baseball game right there, we just came up a little short. I thought it would take six to eight runs to win, and it didn’t today because both pitchers pitched well and gave their team an opportunity to win. Lynn just came up with an extra hit than we did.”
Emporia State head coach Bob Fornelli.

“Lynn can hit, now. Lynn can swing the bats and they’re a very good baseball team. We tip our hat and congratulate them for winning the National Championship, but I thought Ben (Graham) did a great job. He gave us every opportunity to win that baseball game.”
Bob Fornelli on Emporia State starting pitcher Ben Graham.

“I felt okay. I just gave it everything I had.”
Emporia State starting pitcher Ben Graham, who suffered the loss despite a recording a career-high 10 strikeouts and holding Lynn to two runs in eight innings pitched.

“We just couldn’t get a big hit. We got a lot of opportunities with runners in scoring position. We just couldn’t get the big hit to get them in.”
Emporia State centerfielder Conner Crumbliss.

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