Belhaven

Blowouts in Shreveport, and upsets in Columbus, GA.

At the Southern States Athletic Conferencetournament in Columbus:

#4-ranked Leewent two-and-out. They were taken out by #19 Southern Polytechnic 7-4. The Hornets won it with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on only one hit; the winning run was scored by courtesy runner Conrad Boron when pinch-hitter Blake Parrot drew a bases-loaded walk. The Hornets drew a total of eight walks and two hit batters. Brad Hutson got the win in relief; starter Josh Strawn put in a good effort for the Hornets, recorded eleven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, allowed three earned runs on eight hits.

#6 Auburn-Montgomeryalso went two-and-out, losing to #16 Brewton-Parker 8-7 (10 innings). 1B Jacob Evors hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings, then hit a bases-loaded single in the tenth to win it. Evors finished the game 3-6 with five RBI. The Barons used six pitchers; Ben Gillespie got the win, faced two batters, threw nine pitches. Story from Auburn-Montgomery site: No. 6 AUM Falls in Extras to No. 16 Brewton-Parker, 8-7

#13 Faulkner is still in the tournament, but they're in the losers' bracket. The Eagles lost to host William Carey7-6. RF Javier Ortiz scored the winning run in the seventh; he reached base on a walk, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a wild throw. Starter Scotty Reese got the win for the Crusaders; Ortiz finished the game 2-3 with a double and two runs scored.

Third round action at the Southern States Athletic Conferencetournament in Columbus, GA:

#13 Faulknerand #19 Southern Polytechnicjoined the list of ranked teams that have been taken out of this tournament. Faulkner lost 7-4 to #16 Brewton-Parker7-4. The winning run for the Barons came in the sixth inning; 2B Errick Fox scored when LF Randall Shepherd drew a bases-loaded walk. Fox went 3-5 with an RBI for the game.

#22 Belhavenis now in the driver's seat in this tournament. The Blazers defeated host William Carey7-1. Both teams had six hits, but four of the Blazers' came in the fifth inning; they scored six runs, four of which came on a grand slam home run by CF Tyler Wrinkle. Brandon McHenry got the win; he went seven innings, allowed no runs on five hits, struck out six.

Shorter took out Southern Polytechnic 4-3. The Hawks trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, but pinch-hitter Shannon Houston hit a two-RBI single to win it. Tim Day got the win in relief, but a good effort by starter Stephen Adkins kept the Hawks in the game; he went seven innings, allowed three runs on seven hits.

Schedule for Tuesday(times EDT): Brewton-Parker vs. Belhaven, 1 PM, audio webcast; William Carey vs. Shorter, 4 PM.

Third round action at the Red River Athletic Conferencetournament in Shreveport:

#9 LSU-Shreveportcontinued their domination of this tournament, defeating Texas-Brownsville11-4. This game was tied 2-2 after four innings, but the Pilots scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth; SS Manny Estrada and DH Kyle Pearson hit RBI doubles, and 1B  Kevin Smith, 2B Michael Diffie and CF Justin Brodnax hit RBI singles. Pearson finished 3-4 with two RBI.

#17 Northwood (TX) stayed in the tournament by defeating Wiley8-2.

Schedule for Tuesday(times CDT): Northwood vs. Texas-Brownsville, 11:30 AM; LSU-Shreveport vs. Northwood-Texas-Brownsville winner, 3:00 PM, audio webcast.

The start of the TranSouth Athletic Conferencetournament in Jackson, TN was postponed until Tuesday due to weather. The Sun Conference tournament starts Tuesday in Fort Myers, FL. The Golden State Athletic Conferencetournament starts in Riverside, CA on Tuesday. The Sooner Athletic Conferencetournament starts in Lubbock, TX on Wednesday. The NAIA Westtournament starts in Atherton, CA on Wednesday.

#21 Belhavenwon the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament, defeating William Carey in the final 16-5. The Blazers put it away with ten runs in the third inning, led by a grand slam home run by C Ryan Saunders; all of the runs were scored with two out.

Belhaven, Lee, and Auburn-Montgomery will be in the Opening Round tournament. Faulkner, Southern Polytechnic,and Brewton-Parkerwill have to wait until the final coaches' poll next week.

Results from the TranSouth Conferencetournament in Jackson, TN:

#4 Cumberlandwas upset by Bethel (TN) (ISR #59) 9-7 in the first round. The Bulldogs led 5-2 after five innings, but the Wildcats scored four runs in the sixth inning on no hits, three bases on balls, and three errors. The winning run came in the seventh inning on a two-RBI double by LF Jay Lowery.

#22 Trevecca Nazarenedefeated Freed-Hardeman4-1. The winning run came on a sacrifice fly by DH Jordan Foreman.

Martin Methodistdefeated Union U. (TN)(ISR #23) 2-1. Martin Methodist starter Jerry McMurtry went eight innings, allowed one run on five hits, struck out ten, threw 128 pitches. Jeremey Stack went the distance for Union U.; he allowed two runs on seven hits, struck out seven, threw 126 pitches. The winning run came on a wild pitch by Stack.

Results from day three of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Embry-Riddle 8, Belhaven 4
Point Loma Nazarene 7, Cal Baptist 6
Cumberland 8, Oklahoma City 1
Lee 8, Lewis-Clark State 0

Embry-Riddle 8, Belhaven 4 (Belhaven eliminated)

The Blazers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when CF Jimmy Gilford hit an RBI triple, then scored on a ground out. They chased Embry-Riddle ace Jonathan Kountis in the third inning when 2B Lake Eiland scored on a passed ball, and DH Brandon Benton hit an RBI single. The game was tied 4-4 at that point. Kountis was replaced by Cory Bevis, and the Blazers got only two hits the rest of the way. Bevis went 6 1/3 innings, held the Blazers scoreless, struck out five, and walked only one. The Blazers didn’t have a baserunner beyond second base.

Cal Baptistswept three close games from a Cal State San Marcosteam that was 6-1 going into the series. The Lancers won the first game 2-0 with a pinch-hit single by Josh Manzano. Drew Madrigal and Erik Wallace scattered four hits for the shutout; the Cougars outhit the Lancers 4-3. The second game was 4-3; the Lancers scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the winning run came in on a double by RF Zach Esquerra. Patrick Smith got the win in relief. The Lancers trailed 7-0 after 1 1/2 innings in the third game, but Travis Barnes was able to hold the Cougars to two runs on four hits the rest of the way. The Lancers took a 9-7 lead in the fifth inning on a two-run home run by LF Jake Johnson, and the Cougars tied it 8-8 in the eighth when Smith walked in two runs. However, the Lancers loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, and the winning run came in when C Sharif Othman was hit by a pitch by  Johnny Omahen.

The Lancers are now 10-1. They host La Sierra on Tuesday, and host British ColumbiaFeb. 18-19. The Cougars visit Point Loma Nazareneon Tuesday, and play Azusa Pacifichome-and-away Feb. 18-19.

Cumberlandopened their season with a pair of wins over Missouri Baptist,3-2 and 7-1. The first game was scheduled for seven innings, but it took a home run by Cory Farris in the eighth inning to decide it. Keith Kirby got the win in relief. In the second game, Mike Mandarino allowed two hits over six innings, and Christian Jennings finished with a perfect seventh inning. Farris went 2-3 with an RBI double.

Oklahoma City (5-1) split a double-header with Missouri Baptist. The Spartans won their season opener 2-1; Bunk Coronado, a transfer from LSU-Shreveport, and Aaron Matula combined to hold the Stars to three hits, and Coronado recorded nine strikeouts. LF Joe Riley doubled in the winning run. The Stars won the nightcap 9-1; Blake Schwartz and Patrick Goelz combined to hold the Spartans to one hit, and Schwartz struck out ten of the 17 batters he faced. RF Chad Carman batted in three of the Stars' runs. A mid-week game at Central Oklahoma was canceled, and a pair of weekend games against Ottawawere also canceled. The Stars have a busy week ahead. They host Southern NazareneFeb. 16, MidAmerica Nazarene Feb. 17-18, and BellevueFeb. 18-19.

Concordia-Irvine (3-4) lost four games on the week to Division II teams; 11-1 to Cal State-Los Angeles, and 7-6 (11 innings), 14-8, and 6-4 to Cal Poly Pomona. The Eagles missed two chances to win the extra-innings game. They outhit Cal Poly Pomona in the second game, but Eagle pitched walked ten batters, and hit three more. The Eagles host Patten Feb. 17-18.

Lee(8-0) defeated Tennessee Temple 15-0, and recorded three shutouts against Shawnee State, 5-0, 2-0, and 4-0. Kris Hall and Joe Fabre combined for a two-hit shutout in the first Shawnee State game (Hall struck out twelve), Patrick Merkling pitched five hitless innings in the second game, and Jose Samayoa allowed one hit in the first five innings of the third game. 1B Roberto Reyes hit a three-run home run in the third game. The Flames host Union C. (KY) Feb. 13, visit Tennessee WesleyanFeb. 15, and visit EmmanuelFeb. 17-18.

NAIA baseball action during the past week.

#1 Tennessee Wesleyan swept Indiana Tech 7-6, 4-1, and 3-1. The first game was tied 5-5 going into the seventh and last inning. The Warriors got a run in the top of the seventh on an RBI triple by RF Bryan Brudi, but the defending champions tied it on an RBI single by RF David Donald, and won it on an RBI single by 1B Trey Griffin. Griffin went 4-for-4, Donald went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Both teams had three hits in the third game. The winning run came on a sacrifice fly by C Brackton Smith. Jarrod Jameson got the win; he went seven innings, allowed no earned runs, struck out seven.

The Bulldogs have won eight straight after losing the first three games of the season. They host #12 Lindsey Wilson on February 20, and Indiana-Southeast February 22-23.

#2 LSU-Shreveport won two of three against Culver-Stockton. Jason Mouton and Cade Bowen combined for a one-hitter in the first game, won by the Pilots 5-0. Mouton went six innings, allowed the only hit in the fifth inning, struck out five. Bowen pitched a perfect inning, struck out one. In the second game, the Pilots committed five errors, walked seven batters, hit seven batters, and lost 14-3 (story). The third game went eleven innings, and the Pilots won 6-5. CF Ridge Gonsoulin hit an RBI single for the winning run. Winning pitcher Ben Suit retired every batter he faced over the last three innings (story).

The Pilots host Division II Southern Arkansas on February 19, and Texas College February 22-23.

#3 Lee swept Mobile 6-3, 3-1, and 12-0. Myles Smith got the win in the first game, and 2B Mark Silva went 3-for-3 with an RBI. RF Corey Davis hit a two-RBI single for the winning run in the second game. Kyle Briner got the win in relief; he struck out five of the seven batters he faced. The Rams got an excellent effort from Ryan Hines, who struck out 11 (story). 3B Roberto Duran went 3-for-3 with a three-run home run and four RBI in the third game. LHP Clint Terry and C.J. Lusted combined for the three-hit shutout; Terry went six innings, struck out five (story).

The Flames are 10-2. They host Rio Grande February 18, visit Union C. (KY) February 19, and host #18 Auburn-Montgomery February 22-23.

#1 Faulknerswept a series at Blue Mountain, 2-0, 8-1, and 10-1. Their record is now 8-2. LHP Thomas Dorminy pitched a one-hitter in the first game, struck out ten.RHP Jeremy Holcombe got the win in the second game, pitched six shutout innings, allowed three hits. RHP Julian Esquibel got the win in the third game. The Eagles visit Thomas Feb. 21-22.

#2 Lewis-Clark State started their season 4-0, sweeping Division II Montana State-Billings, 5-4, 20-6, 9-2, and 4-1. David Murillo, Beau Kerns, Dillon Keene, and Gunnar Swanson got the wins. Swanson went six innings, allowed three hits, struck out seven. LF/DH Kyle Knigge went 8-for-17 with four RBI for the series. The Warriors host Division II Western Oregon Feb. 21-23.

#3 Embry-Riddle swept South Carolina-Beaufort, 5-2, 4-0, and 3-1. RHP Daniel Poncedeleon went the nine-inning distance in the first game, struck out ten. LHP Stetson Nelson pitched all but the last out of a two-hit shutout in the second game, and the Eagles scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the eighth. RHP Corey Tufts and LHP Clayton Wagner combined for a one-hitter in the third game. The Sand Sharks got only nine hits in the series. The Eagles visit Division II Stillman Feb. 22-23.

#4 Missouri Baptist won three games at a tournament at Belhaven. The Spartans defeated Campbellsville 13-3, Saint Francis (IN) 19-3, and Belhaven 5-2. LF Orlando Olivera went 4-for-5 with two RBI against Campbellsville. 2B Jeff Smith went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI against Saint Francis. LHP Dave Mullins got the win against Belhaven; he went seven innings, allowed no earned runs and one hit. The Spartans host Indiana Wesleyan Feb. 21-22.

Oklahoma City (8-3) defeated Southern Nazarene8-4 in mid-week. The Stars scored six runs in the first inning, and Blake Schwartz recorded seven strikeouts in six innings of work. The Stars then dropped two games to MidAmerica Nazarene, 8-4 and 4-2. In the first game, RF Josh Greer hit two home runs for the Pioneers, batted in five of their eight runs. In the second game, Pioneer starter Tino Luna recorded ten strikeouts in six innings, held the Stars to five hits. The Stars rebounded with two wins over Bellevue, 7-2 and 5-1. Rich Hawkins pitched a complete game in the first one, SS Chris Muñoz went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the second one. The Stars host Northwood (TX)Feb. 21, U. of Science and Arts of OklahomaFeb. 23, then visit USAO Feb. 25.

Concordia-Irvine (6-4) swept three games against Patten, 9-1, 12-0, and 11-7. The first game was closer than the score indicates; see campus visit. Jake Hovis went the distance in the shutout, struck out ten. RF Ty Holm went 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in the third game. The Eagles begin their defense of their Golden State Athletic Conference championship at home against San Diego ChristianFeb. 23, then visit San Diego Christian Feb. 25.

Lee(11-2) lost two midweek games, 9-3 to Union C. (KY) and 8-7 to Tennessee Wesleyan. The Flames led Tennessee Wesleyan 7-6 going into the ninth inning. They had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the ninth, and couldn't get an insurance run. Tennessee Wesleyan got two cheap runs in the bottom of the ninth to win it. The Flames swept Emmanuelover the weekend, 12-1, 2-1, and 8-5. Kris Hall struck out eleven in the mercy-rule shortened first game. The winning run in the second game came on a solo home run by 1B Roberto Reyes. The Flames trailed the third game 5-2 at one point, got a good five-inning relief effort from James Rechenbach. The Flames host Rio GrandeFeb. 20 and Lindsey WilsonFeb.22, and visit U. of MobileFeb. 24-25.

Oklahoma City (11-4) defeated Northwood (TX)13-5 and won two of three against U. of Science and Arts of Oklahoma12-2, 8-5, and 2-4. RF Dane Phillips went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the first game against USAO; Blake Schwartz and Allen Townsend combined for a two-hitter. 1B Miguel Beltran went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI in the second game; Rich Hawkins got the win. 1B Zach Gonzales singled in the winning run for USAO in the third game. Adam Wilson got the win, held the Stars to five hits. The Stars host Oklahoma WesleyanFeb. 28, visit Northwestern Oklahoma StateMarch 1, and host Northwestern Oklahoma State March 3.

Concordia-Irvine (9-5) began their defense of their Golden State Athletic Conference championship by winning three of four against San Diego Christian, 5-4, 12-4, 6-1, and 5-6. RF Ty Holm stole home for the winning run in the first game. DH Tony Harkey hit a three-RBI double in the second game. Jake Hovis pitched a complete game in the third game, allowed five hits. The Eagles were done in by three unearned runs on the fourth game. They visit VanguardMarch 1-2, and host Vanguard March 3.

The NAIA's top 11 teams, and 12 of the top 13 teams, have started their seasons.

Oklahoma City started their season with four wins, two against Hastings, and two against Grand View. The Stars trailed the first game 1-0 going into the sixth inning of a seven-inning game. P Rich Hawkins tied it with a home run in the sixth, and SS Chris Munoz batted in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Hawkins went the distance, scattered six hits, struck out seven. Kirby Wells and and Addison Ives combined to hold the Stars to only three hits. The Stars visit Division II Central Oklahoma on Feb. 7, and host Missouri Baptistand OttawaFeb. 10-12.

Concordia-Irvine (3-0) visits Division II Cal State-Los Angeles Feb. 8 and Division II Cal Poly Pomona Feb. 10. They host a double-header against Cal Poly Pomona, who are 4-0, in Feb. 11.

Leeswept three games against Talladega, 14-2, 4-1, and 2-1, and defeated Hiwassee (NCCAA) 11-0. Kris Hall, Patrick Merkling, Andy Hillis, and Mike Fasolo got the wins, and Fasolo combined with James Rechenbach and Kyle Briner for a one-hitter against Hiwassee. Blake Barber is batting .538 for the Flames. They host Tennessee Temple Feb. 7 and Shawnee State Feb. 10-11.

Lubbock Christianlost two of three to Northwood (TX)and lost to Texas Wesleyan.All four games were close. Kyle Forsyth was credited with the 10-8 win over Northwood; the Chaparrals scored seven runs in the eighth inning, led by a bases-loaded double by RF Benny Woodard. In the first loss to the Knights, Clayton Woodruff, Nick Harrison, and Colton Reavis combined to hold the Chaparrals to four hits. The next game went into extra innings, and the Knights won it on an RBI single by 1B Adam Humes. In the 3-2 loss to Texas Wesleyan, C Alex Padilla bunted with the bases loaded to bring in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Oklahoma transfer Nolan Barbee got the win for the Rams, but starter Derek Vaughn put in a strong performance; six innings, four hits, seven strikeouts. The Chaparrals host YorkFeb. 10-11. The Rams have started the season 4-0, and they visit Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor Feb. 7, host Tabor Feb. 9, and U. of the SouthwestFeb. 10-11.

Embry-Riddleswept three games from Florida Memorial,6-5 (11 innings), 12-0 (mercy rule) and 10-4. 1B Chris Page went 3-for-6 in the first game, hit a single off the wall in the bottom of the 11^th to bat in the winning run. Chad Modomo pitched a four-hit shutout in the second game. CF Frankie Arias went 4-for-4 in the third game, and Kevin Maloney got the win. The Eagles visit WarnerFeb. 10-11.

Concordia-Irvinehas started the season 3-0, with an easy win over Simpson, and a double-header sweep of Arizona Christian, 6-3 and 10-7. C/DH Chris Kuber is batting .600 for the Eagles, Blake Harrison, Brent Clapper, and Thomas Hoenshell got the wins. The defending champions don't play again until Feb. 8, at Division II Cal State-Los Angeles.

Auburn-Montgomery hosted a round-robin event with four ranked teams, and the result was a draw. The Warhawks (they are no longer the Senators), Embry-Riddle,and Tennessee Wesleyan went 2-2, and Southern Polytechnicwent 1-1. The best game of the event was probably the first one, a 2-1 win for the Warhawks over Embry-Riddle. Story at Auburn-Montgomery site: Dugan's Walk-Off Gives Warhawks Split with No. 5 Embry-Riddle. Enbry-Riddle got a complete seven-inning game from Chad Modomo in a 5-2 win over Tennessee Wesleyan; it was Modomo's first start for the Eagles. The Warhawks host Webber International Feb. 3, and Southeaster Feb. 4. The Eagles host Florida MemorialFeb. 3-4.

Belhaven swept three games against Blue Mountain, 4-0, 6-3, and 15-4. Geoffrey Thomas, Matthew Shaw, and Robert Marzoni combined for a four-hit shutout in the first game. Thomas, a transfer from Southern Mississippi, pitched six shutout innings, allowed one hit, struck out five. The Blazers host TougalooJan. 31, and visit LSU-AlexandriaFeb. 3-4.

Wayland Baptistswept four games against U. Of the Southwest,6-2, 5-4, 3-1, and 6-3. The Pioneers score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the second game; freshman LF Colton Palmer hit a two-RBI single, and freshman SS Bernie Rosario hit a walk-off RBI double. The Pioneers will be playing at the Arizona Desert Classic in Anthem, AZ Feb. 2-4, with College of Idaho, Fresno Pacific, Lewis-Clark State, and Point Loma Nazarene.

More teams with good starts: Loyola-New Orleansis 4-0, Emmanuelis 3-0.

NAIA baseball action during the past week, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking.

#1 Lewis-Clark Stateswept #8 College of Idaho,8-0, 6-2, 10-2, and 9-3. Michael Noteware, Colton Wright, and Joe Mello combined for a one-hitter in the first game; Noteware went six innings, allowed the only hit, struck out five. The four Coyotes' runs in the second and third games came from two two-run home runs by SS Mitch Skaggs. Dillon Keene got the win in relief in the fourth game, allowed one hit in two innings. The Warriors visit Menlo March 21, 22, and 24.

#2 British Columbiaswept a four-game series at #6 Concordia-Portland,3-1, 11-2, 2-1, and 14-6 (12 innings). Sean Callegari got the win in the first game, went seven innings, allowed one run on five hits, struck out eight. The Thunderbirds got all the runs they needed in the second game in the second inning, with a bases-loaded triple by 2B Matt Spillman. Conor Lillis-White got the win, allowed one hit in five innings. C Cam Firth hit an RBI double with two out in the top of the ninth for the winning run in the third game. Curtis Taylor got the win, pitched a perfect eighth inning. Bryan Pawlina pitched the first seven innings, allowed one run on three hits, struck out eight. It took the Thunderbirds 12 innings to complete the sweep. They left the go-ahead run on third in the top of the ninth. Curtis Taylor got the Thunderbirds out of a jam in the bottom of the ninth. He was greeted with a double by SS Christian Lichtenhale. Taylor struck out the next batter, then got a ground out, which moved the potential winning run to third base. Taylor intentionally walked the next batter, and struck out the one after that to send it into extra innings. The Cavaliers ran out of pitchers in the 12th inning.

Oklahoma City (15-4, 6-1 SAC) defeated Oklahoma Wesleyan12-4, and swept Northwestern Oklahoma State, 10-5, 3-0, and 10-2. 2B Brian Fisher went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI against Oklahoma Wesleyan. C Chad Carman hit a solo home run for the winning run in the first game against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Rich Hawkins pitched the shutout in the second game, allowed four hits. C/RF Dane Phillips hit a three-run home run in the third game, and got another RBI on a ground out. The Stars visit Southern NazareneMarch 6, host Mid-America Christian March 8 and 10, and visit Mid-America Christian March 9.

Concordia-Irvine (13-5, 7-1 GSAC) swept four games against Vanguard, 9-7 , 20-6, 10-9, and 14-4. Pinch-hitter Matt Taylor hit a two RBI double in the top of the ninth to win the first game. 1B Tony Harkey, Jr. hit two home runs and went 3-for-4 with three RBI and four runs scored in the second game. LF Kyle Konicek when 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI in the third game, and 3B Ryan DiMascio went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the fourth game. The Eagles visit non-conference Cal State-San Marcos March 9, and visit Cal State-San Marcos March 10. The Eagles lead the Golden State Athletic Conference; The Master'sis second with a 6-2 record.

Lee(21-2, 9-0 SSAC) swept Milligan10-1 and 13-0. SS Edmanuel Rivera and 1B Roberto Reyes hit home runs in the first game. Dustin Lawson, Kyle Briner, and Joe Fabre combined for a two-hit shutout in the second game. The Flames then swept three games against Truett McConnell, 8-1, 3-2, and 14-4. Kris Hall went seven innings in the first game, allowed one run on three hits, struck out 12. The Flames were out-hit 5-4 in the second game, but 2B Blake Barber singled in a run in the bottom of the seventh to win it. LF Mike Moore went 3-for-4with a home run in the third game. The Flames visit BryanMarch 7 and Tennessee TempleMarch 8, then host Loyola-New OrleansMarch 9-10. Barber is batting .507 for the Flames.

NAIA baseball action during the past week.

#1 Tennessee Wesleyan defeated Georgia Gwinnett 2-1, and won two of three against Saint Andrew's, 2-0, 6-5, and 2-3. The winning run against Georgia Gwinnett came on an RBI single by SS Wes Minton in the bottom of the ninth. Corey Rhoney and Noah Piard combined for the shutout in the first Saint Andrew's game; Rhoney went eight innings, allowed four hits, struck out seven. In the second game, the Knights out-hit the Bulldogs 12-7; the Bulldogs scored all six of their runs in the first inning. CF Travis Burnside hit a two-RBI single, then scored the winning run on a misplayed ground ball. In the third game, the defending champions were held to six hits by Joe McCarty and Evan Tucker. RF Michael Durig batted in all three of the Knights' runs.

The Bulldogs are now 15-5. They visit Belhaven March 5-6, host Milligan March 9-10, and host Ohio Christian March 11.

#2 LSU-Shreveport got an easy 15-5 mid-week win over Division III Louisiana College, but was swept by Texas Wesleyan, 5-1, 12-8, and 6-5. Derek Vaughn got the win for the Rams in the first game; he went six innings, allowed one run on two hits, struck out four. Connor Zamora and Nolan Barbee kept the Pilots off the board the rest of the way, and Zamora struck out three of the six batters he faced. CF Trevor Moon singled in the winning run (story). In the second game, the Rams scored ten runs in the second inning, capped by a three-RBI double by SS David Kiriakos. The Pilots out-hit the Rams 11-7 in the third game. They got within one run in the top of the ninth, and had the go-ahead run on first with nobody out. However, reliever Patrick Stanley got two strikeout and a fly out to end the game and get a save (story).

Northwood (TX), who has won seven straight, has the lead in the Red River Athletic Conference. The Rams are two games back, and the Pilots are three games back. The Pilots visit LSU-Alexandria March 5, and host Huston-Tillotson March 8-9. Streaming audio

NAIA coaches' poll for April 14, 2015, with Boyd Nation's ISR. Recaps below.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 24, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 19, Azusa Pacific 1

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport (22-4 RRAC) swept a double-header at William Carey, 10-4 and 9-4, and clinched the Red River Athletic Conference pennant by sweeping Texas Wesleyan 5-2, 5-0, and 14-2. Jared Mortensen went the distance in the first Texas Wesleyan game, scattered eight hits, struck out nine. Matt Lackie went the distance for the shutout in the second game, ran his record to 9-0, struck out seven. The Pilots then swept a double-header at Division III Centenary, 15-11 and 10-7 (eight innings, scheduled for seven). Mortensen got a save in the second game, CF Ridge Gonsoulin batted in the winning run. This crosstown, cross-divisional matchup drew 550 fans. The Pilots host the RRAC tournament April 28-May 1.

Oklahoma City(23-4 SAC) won two of three against #18 Lubbock Christian, 5-1, 4-5 (eight innings, scheduled for seven), and 4-2. 1B Miguel Beltran hit a home run in the first game, and also made an unassisted double play. 3B Jordan Lewis batted in the winning run for the Chaparrals in the second game. Jose Gonzalez, who retired all four batters he faced, got the win. 2B Brian Fisher hit a home run for the winning run in the third game. The Stars host Wayland BaptistApril 26-27, and finish their regular season at Division II Central Oklahoma April 28. Beltran now has 20 home runs on the season, most in the NAIA. The Stars lead the Sooner Athletic Conference; #8 Oklahoma Baptist is three games back (with three games remaining) with a 20-7 record.

Faulkner (27-3 SSAC) swept three games against Shorter, 4-1, 5-1, and 4-2, and won the Southern States Athletic Conference pennant. Corey Black pitched a three-hitter in the first game, struck out eight. 2B Daniel Cayton hit a two-RBI double for the winning run in the third game. Black leads the NAIA with an ERA of 0.97, and is tied with four other pitchers (including Rich Hawkins of Oklahoma City) with ten wins. The Eagles have won 20straight games. The SSAC tournament starts April 26, in Columbus, GA. The Eagles will play Belhaven in the first round.

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for May 3, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes:Embry-Riddle 15, Oklahoma City 4, Cal Baptist 1, Cumberland 1

The NAIA Coaches' poll for May 5, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below.