UPDATE: Heartland, Southeastern Iowa to meet in NJCAA World Series DII championship

ENID, Okla. — Weather apps are becoming as important as the bats and balls at the NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.

For the second straight day on Thursday, June 1, 2023, the tournament was suspended by weather.

St. Johns River State and Heartland were tied 9-9 in the bottom of the 10th when the game was suspended at 4:17 p.m. because lightning struck within 8 miles of the ballpark.

Officials eventually sent both teams back to their hotels to try to wait out the weather. At approximately 6:30 p.m., the decision was made to resume the game at 10 a.m. Friday.

Lansing and Southeastern Iowa will play 30 minutes after the completion of the suspended game. The winner advances to the championship round. Lansing stayed alive by beating Southeastern Iowa, 5-3, in the resumption of a suspended game from Wednesday.

If St. Johns River State wins, the two teams will play again 30 minutes after the Lansing-Southeastern Iowa game. If Heartland wins, the Hawks are in the championship round.

Lind Hartsell, the Division II baseball chairman, said scheduling will be dependent on the weather. The championship round could start Saturday.

"That's a possibility," he said. "We will have a better read for Saturday tomorrow. We want to be fair and equitable for everybody, especially late in the tournament. You’ve got to consider the kids’ rest and health."

He said tournament officials were following NJCAA rules in suspending the St. Johns River State-Heartland game. The game had been suspended by weather earlier from 12:56 to 1:58 p.m.

"We just do the best we can with it," he said. "We can't control the weather. Weather controls our decisions. We want to be safe and be as fair as possible this late in the tournament."

He said when lightning is detected within 8 miles of the facility, there is an automatic 30-minute delay. Tournament officials were going back and forth among a number of weather apps.

"We have been consistent all the way through," he said. "We all grew up hearing thunder and saying one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three … that's no more. Eight miles is the radius a storm can come through here but you’ve still got to leave the field if there is a lightning bolt within 8 miles from the field."

Left field had a few lakes flowing after a heavy rainstorm at approximately 6 p.m.

LANSING 5,

SE IOWA 3

Lansing got strong relief pitching in forcing a second bracket final with the Blackhawks.

Daniel LaRussa pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings after coming in with a runner on second with no outs in the seventh. He retired the next three batters and pitched a scoreless eighth with a strikeout. Reymon Paulino singled with one out but was thrown out going to second by left fielder Evan Mendoza.

Closer Xander Hall was called on after LaRussa gave up a one-out single to Taichi Nakao. Hall got Cole Yearsley to fly out and Joe Sallorin to pop up.

"That's what you need in tight games," said Stars coach Steve Cutter. "Braden pitched really well and Xander did what he's done all year in pressure moments. That's what good teams do."

Lansing managed only two hits after coming back for the last four innings holding a 5-1 lead. The Blackhawks scored twice in the sixth on RBI singles by Vasin Thurman and Marcus Beatty.

"It's definitely a tough thing to do," said Cutter about coming back from a suspended game. "The amount of performance stuff we do pays off in those situations. I’m very proud of the boys."

The win boosted Lansing's record to 50-11. Southeastern Iowa dropped to 48-17.

"Anytime you get a 50-win season, no matter what happens after that, it's a good season," Cutter said.

ST. JOHNS RIVER STATE 9,

HEARTLAND 9

Relief pitching helped send this game into extra innings. Heartland had tied the game at 9-9 when Bobby Atkinson drove in Gallien Coupet with a single in the seventh.

Heartland's Jack Stellano threw three shutout innings after coming on in the eighth. He struck out three. Michael Furry singled with two outs in the ninth but was thrown out trying to steal second by Hawks catcher Ben Hartl.

Vikings reliever Logan Schmidt came on in the bottom of the ninth after a one-out walk to Coupet. Coupet stole second with two outs. Sam Antonacci was intentionally walked, but Atkinson grounded out to end the threat.

Corey Boyette was coming up in the 10th when the game was stopped.

St. Johns River State scored three runs in the second, fifth and sixth. Caleb Freeman had a three-run homer in the sixth to make it 9-8. The Vikings took advantage of three Hawks errors to to make it 6-4 in the fifth. Lewis and Jack Slater had RBI singles. Andon Lewis’ RBI double and a bases-loaded walk to Myles Liggans were the highlights of the three-run second.

Heartland had taken an 8-6 lead after scoring four runs in the fifth on only one hit, taking advantage of two errors and a bases-loaded walk to Antonacci. Mark Kattula hit a two-run homer in the second while the Hawks added two more in the third on two walks, a ground out by Atkinson and a sac fly by Boyette.

Coupet was 3-of-6 to lead a nine-hit attack.

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Campbell is a former sports writer and current part-time writer for the News & Eagle.

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Enid News & Eagle coverage of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series held at David Allen Memorial Ballp…

Graduate of Oklahoma City John Marshall (1972) and University of Oklahoma. Been at News & Eagle since June 19, 1978. Previously worked at Oklahoma Journal, Midland, Texas Reporter & Telegram, Norman Transcript, Elk City Daily News

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