Spring Arbor baseball team manufactured a four run ninth inning to earn a come from behind 8-7 win over Union College (KY) on Tuesday. 

May 27 | The Spring Arbor University baseball team took the field at 2:00 p.m. EST against Union College (KY) with their backs against the wall and facing elimination one more time in the NAIA World Series.

This is not unfamiliar territory for the Cougars, as yesterday they crafted a nail-chewing 11-10 victory over Azusa Pacific University, booting the APU Cougars from the tournament.

Spring Arbor starter Andy Paulun put his 2-1 record on the line today in an effort to extend the Cougar season one more time. However Paulun lasted just three innings before giving way to Colin O'Connell (below).  Paulun allowed one run in the second inning and four more in the third before being chased.  Four of the five runs given up were charged as earned runs to the junior lefthander.

Down 5-0 the Cougars regrouped in front of their first base dugout and came out swinging in the bottom of the fourth frame.  Eric Vojtkofsky picked up a pair of RBI's as he drove home Jim Baker and Jesse Bachman with a crushed ball into the left field gap.  Vojkofsjy has six RBI's in fourteen at bats during the tournament while Bachman is batting an amazing .571 in the series.

O'Connell settled in and allowed just a pair of hits heading into the seventh frame.  The left handed ace checked the Union squad until the ninth inning when he ran into some trouble and allowed a pair of Union runs.  Sophomore Jeff Tervo entered the game for Spring Arbor and mowed down a pair of UC batters to get the Cougars out of the jam and contain the damage to a 7-4 deficit.

In their last at bats Spring Arbor showed what they were all about.  Digging deep yet again, the Cougars scratched out three exciting runs to tie the score with just one out.  With one down and runners at first and third sophomore Jon Herbig (top) strode to the plate and found a hole in the Union infield to drive in Jesse Bachman and give the Cougars an exciting 8-7 walk off victory.

"We continue to find a way to do our job," commented SAU head coach Sam Riggleman.  "Our guys have no quit in them and continue to perform at a high level when it matters the most."

Spring Arbor will face off with Lewis-Clark State University tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. EST in a loser eliminated contest.