The Patriots stay alive at the 2023 JUCO World Series with a gut wrenching 12-9 win over the Delgado Community College Dolphins. CF dug deep into their bag of tricks and used their FCSAA Fireman of the Year closer, Cam Schuelke for a bulk of the pitching duties. Schuelke relieved opener, JD Smith, with no outs in the third inning and tossed five innings. This was by far Schuelke's longest outing of the season and with help of reliever Keller Eberly (0.2 IP, 2H, 1R, 2K) were able to hold off the Dolphins until Brian Holiday could take the hill. Holiday entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth inning and struck out every batter he faced to secure the much-needed win for the Pats. The win allows the Pats a day's rest as they won't play again until Thursday evening. This win also places the Pats into the final four teams remaining in the World Series from the original ten team field.

 

John Marant put the Pats up 1-0 in the first with an opposite field home run to left field. This was Marant's 14th HR of the season. Two additional runs would cross when Delgado's starting pitcher walked in a run and hit a batter to bring in the second and third runs of the first inning. Delgado would tie the game in the top of the third inning on a two-run triple by Bryan Broussard. A groundout by Josh Alexander knotted the game at 3-3. A bases loaded hit by pitch of Mike Guilliams and a Cole Bullen groundout with an error gave the Pats the lead back at 6-3. CF wasn't done as they scored three more runs in the fourth inning on a Juan Correa double, a Kareh Valentin sacrifice fly, and a Kainen Jorge RBI single to left field.

 

The pesky Delgado squad would not go away as Alexander homered to left to make it 9-5 in the fifth. The Dolphins scored again in the sixth to inch to within three runs at 9-6. The bottom of the sixth saw the Pats score twice on a Valentin sacrifice fly and a wild pitch. But, once again the Dolphins would strike back with two runs of their own to make it an 11-8 game. In the eighth inning the Dolphins would score one on a bases loaded walk, but that rally was squelched when Holiday entered the game. CF added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning on Juan Correa's 21st home run of the season. The home run set the new Pats school record for HRs in a season.

 

The win improves the #1 seeded Patriots to 53-7 on the season and 2-1 at the JUCO World Series. Delgado finishes their season with a 47-13 record and exits the JUCO World Series with a 2-2 record. CF will play again Thursday evening against the winner of Weatherford and Wabash Valley, and a win on Thursday could possibly send the Pats to the Championship game and a chance at their first national championship.