North Greenville, Belmont Abbey Advance to NCAA Division II Super Regional
NEWBERRY/TIGERVILLE, S.C. - North Greenville won a pair of games while Belmont Abbey came from behind to advance to the 2023 NCAA Division II Super Regional.
North Greenville defeated Mount Olive twice on Saturday to win Southeast Regional No. 1 while Belmont Abbey scored two runs in the ninth inning to defeat Newberry and claim the Southeast Regional No. 2 title.
The top seed in the southeast region, North Greenville, forced the if necessary game in Tigerville as the Crusaders defeated fourth-seeded Mount Olive 11-5. North Greenville belted out 16 hits led by Carter Dierdorf and Andrew Kaminsky who each had three hits. Dierdorf scored and drove in two while Kaminsky had three RBIs in the win. Three different Trojans had two hits in the loss. Brody Fowler (8-0) got the win as he allowed three runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts over seven innings.
North Greenville’s offense continued to get the big hit in the final game of Southeast Regional No. 1 as the Crusaders defeated Mount Olive 9-2. Mount Olive scored first and outhit NGU 8-7 in the contest, but the hosts scored three in the third, two in the fourth and four in the ninth to earn a spot in the super regional. Marek Chlup led the NCAA Division II defending national champions with three RBIs while John Michael Faile and David Lewis each drove in two. Landon Choboy had both RBIs for the Trojans. Michael Rodriguez (4-0) earned the win for North Greenville as he allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts in five innings of relief.
In Newberry, it was the host and second-seeded Wolves of Newberry who eliminated seventh-seed UNC Pembroke, 10-9 in 11 innings. The hosts led 9-1 entering the bottom of the eighth before the Braves plated seven runs on five hits, with five runs coming with two outs. Down to their final out in the ninth, Christian Jayne singled home Blake Hinson to tie the game and force extra innings. Unfortunately a pair of hits plated the game-winning run for Newberry in the top of the 11th to end the Braves’ season. Will Hood paced UNCP with four hits, one run and one RBI while Ethan Ott and Carlos Amezquita each drove in two. Newberry had all nine batters get a hit in the contest with four different guys scoring twice.
Belmont Abbey earned its first trip to the Super Regional since the format began in 2019 with a thrilling, 10-9, victory over Newberry. The Abbey scored first with two runs in the top of the first, but the Wolves answered with seven runs over the next five frames for the 7-2 lead. Belmont Abbey tied the game with a five run sixth and took the lead in the eighth, 8-7. Newberry scored two in the bottom of the eighth to go ahead 9-8. Then in the ninth, Ben Ferguson tied the game with a bases loaded single and Garrett Browder plated the game-winning run with a sac fly. Browder led the 14-hit attack with a 3-for-3 day as he also scored once and drove in two. Connor Powell scored three times from the leadoff spot for Belmont Abbey in the win. In the first inning, Patrick Taylor made history for Belmont Abbey as he was hit for the 42nd time this season which is a new NCAA Division II single-season record. Drew Stegura (6-0) earned the victory on the mound as he walked one and struck out one in 1.2 hitless and scoreless innings of relief.
Belmont Abbey has made one world series appearance (2009) while North Greenville is seeking its second straight trip. The best-of-three super regional will be held in Tigerville, South Carolina May 26-27. Game one will be played on Friday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. with game two on Saturday, May 27 also at 2 p.m. The third game, if necessary, will begin shortly after.
Southeast Regional No. 1 (Tigerville, S.C.)
Regional Website
Thursday, May 18
Game 1: No. 4 Mount Olive def. No. 5 Georgia Southwestern, 5-4 (Box Score)
Game 2: No. 1 North Greenville def. No. 5 Georgia Southwestern, 6-5 (Box Score)
Friday, May 19
Game 3: No. 4 Mount Olive def. No. 1 North Greenville, 13-7 (Box Score)
Saturday, May 20
Game 4: No. 1 North Greenville def. No. 4 Mount Olive, 11-5 (Box Score)
Game 5: No. 1 North Greenville def. No. 4 Mount Olive, 9-2 (
Box Score)
Southeast Regional No. 2 (Newberry, S.C.)
Regional Website
Thursday, May 18
Game 1: No. 2 Newberry vs. No. 7 UNC Pembroke, 12-3 (
Box Score)
Friday, May 19
Game 2: No. 3 Belmont Abbey def. No. 6 Columbus State, 15-13 (Box Score)
Game 3: No. 7 UNC Pembroke def. No. 6 Columbus State, 12-3 (Box Score)
Game 4: No. 3 Belmont Abbey def. No. 2 Newberry, 11-6 (Box Score)
Saturday, May 20
Game 5: No. 2 Newberry def. No. 7 UNC Pembroke, 10-9 (11) (
Box Score)
Game 6: No. 3 Belmont Abbey def. No. 2 Newberry, 10-9 (
Box Score)