The Apprentice School Builders Capture First USCAA Baseball Championship Title Since 2007

FINAL SCORE: #5 The Apprentice School 10, #1 Illinois Tech 1

RECORDS: Apprentice School 30-14; Illinois Tech 24-11

LOCATION: War Memorial Stadium/Hampton, VA

IN BRIEF: After losing earlier in the tournament to top-seeded Illinois Tech, the Apprentice School finished a three-game run on Saturday to take the 2015 USCAA National Championship with a 10-1 win.

HOW THEY SCORED

• After coming off a 4-1 win against second-seeded Penn State Greater Allegheny and a 25-10 win in game one of the championship round, the Builders continued to hit the ball well putting up five runs in the top of the first inning.  Brock Harris opened the game with a single to right field and scored as Mark Labrador ripped a double to left field.  Labrador stole third and scored two batters later as Christian Burton reached on a fielder's choice.  
• Jacob Countiss followed with a double down the left field line to score Burton and he went to third on an errant throw home.  Collin Wilber then reached on a two-base throwing error to allow Countiss to score for a 4-0 lead.  Jordan Cowles also reached base on an error to score pinch-runner Jordan Wright giving the Builders a 5-0 advantage.
• In the fourth, the Builders put up two more runs and with one out Jordan Cowles reached on a single.  Thomas Richardson roped a single to center which got by the outfielder allowing him and pinch-runner Austin Carter to score for a 7-0 advantage.
• The Scarlet Hawks got their lone run in the bottom of that inning as 2015 USCAA First Team All-American Michael Malfeo started with a double and 2015 USCAA Player of the Year Brian Colon-Rodriguez followed with a double to right field to score him as the top-seeded Scarlet Hawks cut the deficit to 7-1.
• The Apprentice School put a run across in the top of the eighth as Richardson singled to center and advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Harris.  After moving to third on a wild pitch he scored as Labrador grounded out for an 8-1 lead.
• The Builders scored the final two runs in the ninth with two outs as Countiss, Wilber and Cowles singled to load the bases.  Richardson followed with a single to left to plate Countiss and Wright for a 10-1 margin.

BEHIND THE BOX

• Brumfield went the distance in a nine-inning game against the team that had earlier defeated him in the tournament 3-1 on Thursday.  He allowed seven hits, walked four and struck out nine.  Harris was 4-for-5 and Richardson was 3-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Builders who had 14 hits in the game.
• Colon-Rodriguez and Darwin Argumedo were 2-for-4 apiece for Illinois Tech who finished the season 24-11.  Kyle Bumpass took the loss throwing 5.2 innings and allowing nine hits, seven runs, three earned with three walks and three strikeouts.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

• The win by the Builders was the first time that a host school had won the USCAA Championship since Florida College pulled the feat in 2002.
• Apprentice School ends the season winning its last five games and 15 of its last 17.
• The 30 wins equals the second most wins in a single season under Bryan Cave only trailing the 2013 team that went 34-10.  The Builders also won 30 games in 2004 (30-12), 2007 (30-15)
• This is Illinois Tech's first year as a USCAA Member.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

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