DUBOIS, Pa. - For the fourth time in program history, The Apprentice School baseball team captured the USCAA Small College World Series title and earned the title of National Champions after defeating Penn State Mont Alto, 6-2.
With the win, the Builders tie the single season record in program history for wins, finishing the year at 41-6. It also marks the third time in the four national championship wins that the Builders came out of the elimination bracket, doing it in 2015 and 2022 after winning it all for the first time undefeated in 2007.
The Builders started quickly, getting Nate Yeary aboard and moved around for Lucca Pascarella to bring him home on a RBI single. One inning later, Pascarella against got a base hit, this time plating Baker Green to double the Builder lead.
After Penn State Mont Alto got one back in the third, Apprentice answered right back, taking advantage of a Lion error on an attempted double play to extend the lead back out to two.
The Builders got their big inning in the fourth. Isaac McCallister legged out an infield single to plate Jaeden Anderson before Jett Winslow had the biggest hit of the inning, singling to right center with the bases loaded to score two more, making the score 6-1.
The Lions did not go quietly as USCAA Player of the Year James Sibert homered to lead off the top of the fifth, but freshman Brayden Hayes never became flustered, sitting down the heart of the PSUMA lineup to end the threat in the fifth.
Hayes proceeded to sit down the Lions in the sixth, setting up Grant Stratton to come into the game in the seventh, striking out all three batters he faced to shut the door.
Landon Turner finished the game going 3-for-4 at the plate, while Pascarella and Winslow each finished with two hits.
Yeary finished the tournament with a record seven stolen bases, earning Tournament MVP honors. Pascarella, McCallister and Nick Redman joined Yeary on the All-Tournament Team.
