GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Winning a double elimination bracket after losing the first game out of the gates in a monumental chore for most.
Apparently not for the Chipola (Fla) baseball team. For the second straight year, the Indians earned themselves a national title at the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction.
This year, Chipola (50-17) did it after losing its first round game. The Indians then won six straight elimination games. Last year, Chipola lost its second game before surviving five straight elimination games. The Indians have now won a staggering 11 straight elimination games at the event.
Chipola, which knocked Barton out of the tournament in its first elimination game this year, finished off its run through the loser’s bracket with a 10-7 win over No. 1 ranked Walters State (Tenn) on Saturday.
Ironically, the final game was a rematch of the opening round. In fact, the two teams played three times. Walters State won the first round game, 8-6. Thursday, Chipola returned the favor with an 8-6 win of their own before the third and NJCAA World Series deciding game between the two Saturday night. In the title game, Chipola score eight runs in the final four innings to capture the title.
Chipola becomes just the fourth team in the NJCAA history to comes back to win it after losing in the opening round. The Indians are the first team to repeat as champions in 18 years. It’s the third national title in baseball for Chipola.
NJCAA World Series
At Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo.
Saturday May 26 (Times are CDT)
G1 – 18 Southern Idaho 5, Temple 2
G2 – 2 Iowa Western 7, 3 Chattahoochee Valley 6
G3 – 8 Jefferson 11, 20 Barton 2
G4 –1 Walters State 8, 14 Chipola 6
Sunday, May 27
G5 – 6 San Jacinto 9, 20 Monroe 0
G6 – Temple 8, 3 Chattahoochee Valley 7 Chattahoochee eliminated
G7 – 14 Chipola 10, 20 Barton 8 Barton eliminated
Monday, May 28
G8 – 1 Walters St 14, 8 Jefferson 9
G9 – 14 Chipola 17, Temple 5 Temple eliminated
G10 – 18 Southern Idaho 4, 2 Iowa Western 2
Tuesday, May 29
G11 – 20 Monroe 10, 8 Jefferson 4 Jefferson eliminated
G12 – 14 Chipola 14, 2 Iowa Western 13 Iowa Western eliminated
G13 – 1 Walters St 17, 6 San Jacinto 0
Wednesday, May 30
G14 – 6 San Jacinto 11, 20 Monroe 1 Monroe eliminated
G15 – 1 Walters St 12, 18 Southern Idaho 10
Thursday, May 31
G16 – 6 San Jacinto 8, 18 Southern Idaho 6 So Idaho eliminated
G17 – 14 Chipola 8, 1 Walters St 6
Friday, June 1
G18 – 14 Chipola 11, 6 San Jacinto 0 San Jacinto eliminated
Saturday, June 2
G19 – 14 Chipola 10, 1 Walters St 7 Walters St eliminated
Chipola (50-17) wins NJCAA Championship
