HAMPTON, VA. - Tournament MVP Matt Acevedo and Richard Arciniega had three hits apiece to pace a 17-hit attack from Columbia Union College as they defeated Apprentice School 8-1 in the 2008 USCAA Championship game on Thursday afternoon.

The Pioneers opened the scoring binge with three runs in the third inning behind RBI singles from Bill Arpei and Arciniega and the third run scored off an error.  Columbia Union broke the game wide open with five runs in the fifth inning on RBI singles from Arciniega, Robert Arvanites, a two-run single from all-tournament selection Kendall Hurst and a RBI double from Acevedo for an 8-0 lead.

Apprentice School scratched a run in the eighth as Alan Riley had a one-out single and advanced on a single from Jonathan Dehoux before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Center.

The Pioneers' Jason Fischer, who was an All-Tournament selection, earned the win for Columbia Union throwing seven innings of three-hit ball and striking out six.  Hector Sepulveda, Arpei and Hurst had a pair of hits each for CUC while Arciniega and Hurst also drove in a pair of runs apiece.  The Builders had Riley and Dehoux go 2-for-4 each.

For all the final information on the tournament, please look at the Baseball Tournament Page

COLUMBIA UNION 8, APPRENTICE SCHOOL 1

Apprentice       000 000 010 - 1 5 1

Columbia Union            003 050 00x - 8 17 1

WP: Fischer; LP: Tugwell.  Standouts: Apprentice, Riley 2-4 (run), Dehoux 2-4 (double); CUC, Sepulveda 2-3 (run), Acevedo 3-4  (run, RBI, double), Arpei 2-5 (2 runs), Arciniega 3-4 (2RBIs), Hurst 2-3 (2RBIs).

All-Tournament Team

Southern Maine CC      Sean Casey

Lyndon State                Ben Clark

Robert Morris-S'field:  Ryan Butcher, Jake Walsh

Apprentice                   Jonathan Dehoux, Alan Riley

Columbia Union            Hector Sepulveda, Kendall Hurst, Jason Fischer                                  

Tournament MVP         Matt Acevedo, Columbia Union