DuBois, PA. – After winning six straight elimination games, the Apprentice Baseball team found themselves playing for a USCAA National Championship Thursday evening.  In Coach Ben Jones' first season at the helm of the Builders, he took a team that only won 2 of their first 13 games all the way to the Small College World Series Championship.  This week his team showed fight and determination to keep their season alive and that is just what that did.  However, Apprentice had one more hurdle to jump to bring the trophy back to Newport News and they would do just that, completing one of the greatest comeback's in school history to win their 3rd USCAA National Chamionship.

Miami-Hamilton jumped on the board early in the first inning to take the lead 4-0.  The Builders answered in the second, with a Holden Sandridge RBI but the Harriers would eventually increase their lead to 7 runs, 9-2.  As the fourth inning went on, the lead grew to 11-2.  After going down 15-2, Thomas Packert, Maxwell Burcham and Sandridge combined for 4 RBI's to trim the Harriers' advantage to 9 runs. 

Eventually, Apprentice fell behind 17-7, but with the bases load Caleb Russel hit a two out Grand Slam, to pull the Builders to within 6 runs and they would add another after a Luke Wells RBI double.  In the bottom of the seventh, Burcham drove home Camden Weston to cut the deficit to 4 runs and then Packert was able to cross the plate on a Riggs Ellis sacrifice fly.  That brought Braden Lambert to the plate and he delivered with a two out homerun to left field, trimming the score to 17-15.  After Packert came into pitch and retired the side, Sandridge led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo homerun to pull Apprentice to within 1 run.  After the bases were loaded, Packert tied the game with an RBI single, and then Burcham came to the plate and hit a the Builders second grand slam of the game to give Apprentice their first lead, 21-17.  On the next at bat, Ellis hit a solo homerun to increase the lead to 5 runs.  When all was said and done, the comeback was complete and the Builders were National Champions after storming back for the win 23-17.

The 40 runs set a USCAA Championship record and that had stood since 2015.  Apprentice was led by Packert who finished the game 5-6 with 3RBI's, 5 runs and a HR, and also pitched two scoreless innings, while Burcham went 3-5 with 6 RBI's, 2 runs and a Grand Slam.  Russell also had a Grand Slam to help the Builders begin their comeback.  Packert was named the Series MVP, while Burcham and Ellis joined Packert on the All-Tournament Team.  This was a remarkable run for Apprentice, after losing their first round game, they won seven straight elimination games to win the National Championship, having to win three straight today.  Congratulations to Coach Ben Jones, his staff, the players and everyone associated with the program.  Your Apprentice Builders are National Champions.