Beatrice, Nebr. – It took extra innings for the reigning national champions to knock Southeast Community College into the elimination bracket on Friday. The Bobcats led for most of the game, but the Bruins tied it late and score the winning run in the tenth inning.

The game started with Van Haneberg sitting down three in order in the top of the first.

Gabe Dalton was struck out and Kadyn Martinez flew out to start the game, but Brady Hunt found first on a single. Jack Hogan was given a free base after the count went full, and Jacob Perrin batted both players in with a single. Perrin left the game after reaching first base with an apparent injury. Jake Smolinski struck out to end the first inning with the Bobcats ahead 2-0.

In the top of the second inning two Salt Lake players got on base, but two fly outs and another strikeout from Haneberg left them out.

Teigan Munce grounded out to start the bottom of the second, but Jordan Monroe and Crew Moeller each found a base. Dalton batted Moeller in with a double before a fly out ended the inning with SCC ahead by three runs.

In the third inning the Bruins once again had runners stranded after early hits, and the Bobcats left Brady Webb on first.

The fourth inning saw one more Bruin left stranded among three groundouts, and SCC left three on.

Salt Lake got on the board in the fifth inning with a leadoff home run, followed by a double that would get cleaned up to make it a 3-2 game after four and a half innings.

The Bobcats responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Hunt started things with a double, but Hogan and Webb were put out in quick succession. Smolinski got walked, and a double from Munce brought in Hunt. Monroe kept the momentum up with a single to bring in Smolinski and Munce, and after five innings the Bobcats led 6-2.

The top of the sixth inning brought two strikeouts for Haneberg, and the bottom of the inning left Dalton stranded on third after a sacrifice bunt by Martinez.

Salt Lake couldn't bring anyone home in the seventh, but the Bruins pitcher sat down three SCC batters in order. The eighth inning was almost a copy of the seventh, with only one hit for Salt Lake and three straight Bobcats sent packing.

In the top of the ninth, needing four runs to skip a Friday evening match with Central Arizona, the Bruins found exactly what they needed.
A leadoff single gave Salt Lake a shot of hope, but reliever Cael Clancy worked a strikeout and a flyout to put the Bobcats one out away from a championship berth. Two straight batters found base with two strikes to load the bases, and a grand slam tied the game and forced extra innings.

All three Bobcats made contact in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the first two were groundouts and the final was a line drive straight into the pitcher's glove.

In the top of the tenth the Bruins got on base from a hit-by-pitch, and he would work his way around the bags after a contested drop in left field by Monroe. That run gave Salt Lake their first lead of the game, 7-6.

Munce and Monroe were put out quickly in the bottom of the tenth, but Moeller singled to keep the game going. Dalton came to the plate, and a flyout to right field sealed a successful comeback for Salt Lake.

The Bruins advance to the championship game on Saturday, and SCC is forced into the elimination bracket, where they meet with Central Arizona again on Friday night at 7 p.m.