Sherman's Road to the Regional: Part 2

This is part two of a three-part series following one of the lead broadcasters for Cornell Big Red baseball. Make sure to read Part 1 HERE. 

“And it’s a beautiful day for baseball here at Boshamer Stadium at UNC Chapel Hill in North Carolina, at least for the time being…” were the words that got the show started in perfect fashion. Alex introduced the audience to the Cornell At Bat broadcast with the warning that inclement weather may be in our future. Nevertheless, it was finally time for baseball, and we could not have been any more excited. After our pregame show that consisted of a 15 minutes summary of the most important observations that we had to offer to the audience, UNC took the field. Left handed UNC starter Hobbs Johnson dealt a first pitch ball to Cornell second baseman Brenton Peters, and we were off and running. Well, at least in the broadcast booth.

After a seemingly harmless 1-0 deficit through 3 1/2 innings (that could have been worse if our shortstop Marshall Yanzick didn’t make an incredible diving catch in shallow left field to save multiple runs), the wheels started to come off. Cornell starting pitcher Rick Marks got into trouble by surrendering 4 consecutive hits and ultimately allowed four runs in the 4th inning to fall behind 5-0.

We as broadcasters have to try to remain relatively impartial, but at that point we were optimistically searching for a game plan that would help our Big Red overcome a five-run deficit against one of the best teams in the country. That’s where senior centerfielder and team leader Brian Billigen came to the rescue.

After the Big Red ran themselves out of the inning by recording the final out on a play at home plate to end the 5th, Marshall Yanzick led off the 6th inning with an infield single, and Billigen stepped up to the plate 0-2 on the day with two strikeouts. “

Now would be a great time for his first hit,” are the words that Billigen apparently needed to hear from the Cornell broadcast booth. Knowing that he’d get a good pitch in a 2-0 count, he drilled a fastball deep to right center field that cleared the wall for a two-run homer, cutting the deficit to three, and sending Cornell back to the clubhouse with positive thoughts, as the inevitable rain delay commenced right after the home run. But this delay could not have come at a better time; not only had we just homered to get right back into the game, but it gave Alex and I a chance to talk to Rich Booth.

Rich was extremely influential in giving the baseball team and our broadcast team the opportunity to travel to North Carolina in the first place, and we were happy to have the time to thank him and have the pleasure of discussing some Big Red baseball with him. It really hit home with me when Rich talked about how important this baseball team was for the alumni and the entire Cornell community, and we certainly realized how much of an honor it was to play just a small role in their incredible and historic season. But in order for their season to continue, the Big Red had to return from the rain delay as hot as they were going into it.

As the 6th inning continued, it looked like that was what was going to happen, as the Big Red loaded the bases and tacked on another run. But what seemed to be the trend for Cornell throughout the regional games is that they couldn’t quite break the game open and run away with it. They miss an opportunity with the bases loaded, allowed two more runs in the bottom of the 6th to fall behind 7-3, added a run in the 8th to make it a 7-4 game, and brought the tying run up to the plate several times in the ninth against one of the best closers in the nation, Michael Morin. It was hard not to feel the intensity that this game had created, even in our broadcast booth in the second deck. We were certainly confident in our chances to tie the ballgame and keep the game alive.

Unfortunately, it did not work in our favor. But after falling to UNC in a tight 7-4 ballgame, we felt confident going into Saturday against East Carolina. In the few games that Alex and I witnessed from the booth during the 2012 season, this team’s will to win and propensity to come through in the clutch was quite evident. The fight that the Big Red put up in this game against the Tar Heels and the clutch performances they had against both Princeton late in the season and against Dartmouth in the Ivy League Championship Series gave us hope that Saturday’s game would not be our last.

Check out Part 3 coming soon!