CENTERVILLE, Iowa – Wabash Valley is in the driver's seat at the NJCAA Midwest District tournament. As the lone unbeaten team left, the third-ranked Warriors are now one win away from a berth in the Juco World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Thursday, WVC had another strong pitching performance in a 3-2 win over South Suburban. The Region 4 champions bounced back from that loss, however, by eliminating host Indian Hills, 8-7, on Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, Indian Hills had ousted John A. Logan, the team Wabash Valley defeated 5-2 in the tournament opener on Thursday.
So, there are two teams left. The Warriors will play South Suburban again at 12 noon CDT. A Bulldog win would force a winner-take-all finale at 3 p.m. CDT.
In the first meeting between the two, Wabash Valley (52-11) scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Mack Mitchell singled home Nick Williams with the first run, followed by an RBI single to left field by Keaton Mahan.
South Suburban (42-20) countered with one run in the home half of the first.
It remained a 2-1 game until the Warriors pushed across what turned into the winning run in the eighth. Bruce Jellison scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1.
WVC starting pitcher Agnel Miranda threw eight strong innings, allowing only two runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking just one. With the Bulldogs threatening in the bottom of the ninth (they would score once), Warrior manager Aaron Biddle went to the bullpen.
Manuel De Gracia got the first out but walked one batter. Sam Mettert faced one batter, issuing a walk.
With the tying run at third and the winning run at first base, Louis Phillipe Langevin got the final two outs, one via strikeout, to earn his third save of the year.
Miranda got the win to improve to 9-1 on the year. Jacob Frost had won his ninth game one day earlier.
Nicklas Williams paced the Warriors at the plate with a 3-for-5 day. Mahan added two hits.
A victory would send the Warriors to their second straight Juco World Series for the first time in program history. Last year, they finished fourth in the tournament.