First baseman Shaun Hoover receives a pickoff throw in Hutchinson's 4-2 victory over Temple College on June 1, 2010.
	Dan Klein rips am RBI double in the second inning to give HCC an early 1-0 lead.
	Daniel Tullos earned his seventh win of the season in an eight-inning effort that helped keep HCC's season alive.

Loser's Bracket
Hutchinson 4, Temple College 2
June 1, 2010 - Sam Suplizio Field, Grand Junction, CO

BLUE DRAGONS
DEFEAT TEMPLE TO STAY ALIVE
AT NJCAA WORLD SERIES

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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Sophomore Shaun Hoover’s eighth-inning double down the right-field line plated Luke Acosta with the go-ahead run as the 19th-ranked Hutchinson Community College’s stay at the 2010 NJCAA World Series will continue with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Temple College on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 before 2,841 at Suplizio Field.

With the victory, the 39-23 Blue Dragons will finish no worse than fourth in the 2010 World Series, their best national finish in team history. The Blue Dragons also became the first Region VI champion since 2001 to win more than one game in Grand Junction.

With the game tied at 2-all going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Acosta doubled down the left-field line against Temple starter Duncan McGee (5-4), who was pitching on two days rest. Temple coach and former Atlanta Braves pitcher Craig McMurtry went to his closer, left-hander Korey Wacker, to face the left-handed Hoover. On a 1-1 pitch, Hoover slammed a double down the right-field line to drive in Acosta with the go-ahead run. Hoover later scored on a Dan Klein sacrifice fly for a 4-2 lead.

“I knew he was going to throw me off-speed,” said Hoover, who tied a career high with three hits against Temple. “The first pitch he threw an outside slider and I knew I was going to get another one. I focused on hitting the ball hard.”

HCC starter Daniel Tullos went out for the ninth inning to bid for a complete game, but gave up a leadoff single to Collin Janssen. HCC head coach Kyle Crookes brought in closer Andy Urban, who coaxed a 5-4-3 groundball double play and got pinch hitter Blake Farley to ground out to end the game.

Urban earned his 11th save of the season, which tied the Blue Dragon single-season saves record, matching Kyle Hollander. Urban, a freshman, is also tied for second on the career saves list with Hollander.

“It feels great,” said HCC head coach Kyle Crookes, whose team is now 2-1 and is one of five teams remaining in the World Series. “You always want to do as well as you can when you get here. We aren’t here to hang out. We want to play and win. It feels good to fight another day.”

Hoover, sophomore centerfielder Jamell Cervantez and Tullos had huge days for Hutchinson, which is now 4-0 in elimination games in the 2010 postseason.

Hoover, who has a team-high seven World Series hits, went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI and was spotless in 14 defensive chances at first base, making several digs on low throws.

“For a kid who started so strong and was then pitched so tough in the middle of the year, he kept grinding it out and kept giving us quality, quality defense,” Crookes said of Hoover. “He’s been a quality player for us all year even though his numbers haven’t always shown it. He carried us today and he’s by far the best first baseman that I’ve ever been around.”

Added Acosta: “You throw it anywhere around him and he’s going to pick it. He’s a great player. He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen and one of the best first baseman that I’ve ever seen. He’s clutch, too. It’s a big asset having him over there. He’s a big part of our team.”

Equally big was Cervantez, who went 3 for 3 with his seventh home run of the season. He also made a game-saving catch in the fifth inning, diving to snag a sinking line-drive with the go-ahead run at third base. A banged up Cervantez left the game one inning later.

Then there was Tullos, who moved to 3-0 in the postseason and 7-3 overall, going eight-plus innings against the Leopards. Tullos allowed nine hits and two earned runs. He struck out two and walked one.

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” Tullos said. “We’ve been dubbed the comeback kids for a reason. We always play in these tense-type games. It’s how we play. It’s our style.”

The Blue Dragons pounded out 12 hits against three Temple pitchers. Sophomore David Longmore had his second multi-hit game of the World Series, going 2 for 3 with a run scored. Klein was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.

HCC took a 1-0 lead on Klein’s two-out double to left-center that scored Longmore all the way from first base. Temple took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third when Wacker singled home Jarvis Smith, who tripled to open the inning. Wacker scored on the back end of double steal attempt where Stafford Bentley was thrown out by Klein. HCC then knotted the game at 2-all when Cervantez launched his first postseason homer and the third HCC home run of the series to lead off the bottom of the third inning.

The game remained tied at 2-all until the bottom of the eighth.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons were 0 of 2 in stolen bases vs. Temple, the first time in 12 games that they were held without a steal in a game. … This was the first time in three games as the home team at the World Series where HCC was the home team and won. … Andy Urban needed just three pitches to close out his 11th save. … HCC third baseman Mace Krol became the 28th Blue Dragon in history to play in 100 games. … When HCC plays on Thursday, it will tie the 1993 HCC baseball team for the most games ever played in a season. … The 39 wins in 2010 are tied for sixth most in program history. … HCC is now 9-2 in the 2010 postseason. … Acosta had his 19th double vs. Temple, which is fourth-most in single-season history.