Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' poll for March 26, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: Lee 13, LSU-Shreveport 3, Oklahoma City 1, Azusa Pacific 3

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

Lee (17-1 SSAC) won two games against Freed-Hardeman 5-2 and 6-5, and swept three games against Brewton-Parker, 5-4, 2-0, and 15-3. DH Corey Davis hit a walk-off home run in the second game against Freed-Hardeman to give coach Mark Brew his 300^th win. 1B Roberto Reyes went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the first game against Brewton-Parker, and 2-for-6 with a grand slam home run in the third game. Patrick Merkling and Jose Samayoa combined for a two-hit shutout in the second game. Merkling is 7-0, 0.83 ERA (third-best in the NAIA), with 62 strikeouts. The Flames visit Southern Wesleyan March 30-31. The Flames lead the Southern States Athletic Conference; Faulkner is second with a 15-3 record.

LSU-Shreveport (14-3 RRAC) swept three games against Huston-Tillotson, 2-1, 13-0, and 16-0. C David Dorton batted in both runs in the first game, and Jared Mortensen went the seven-inning distance for the Pilots. Matt Lackie and Logan Norris got the shutouts. The Pilots visit Division III Louisiana College March 28, and Southwest Assemblies of God March 30-31. The Pilots lead the Red River Athletic Conference; Texas-Brownsville is second with a with a 13-5 conference record.

Oklahoma City (13-2 SAC) won two of three against #6 Oklahoma Baptist, 9-2, 7-8, and 8-7. SS Chris Munoz went 3-for-5 with a double in the first game. Chad Hardison got the win for the Bison in the second game, and Jesus Carlos got his eighth save of the season. RF Dillon Usiak hit a home run for the winning run, went 2-for-3. DH Rich Hawkins hit an RBI triple for the winning run in the third game. The Stars visit Saint Gregory's March 29, and host Saint Gregory's March 31. The Stars lead the Sooner Athletic Conference; Saint Gregory's, Oklahoma Baptist, and Lubbock Christian are in a three-way tie for second place with 9-3 records.

Embry-Riddle (11-2 The Sun Conference) made a mid-season trip to Lewiston, ID, and split two games at #15 Lewis-Clark State, winning 15-0, and losing 5-4. Two more scheduled games were rained out. Adam Paulencu, Eric Green, and Andrew Lytle combined for the shutout in the first game, and Paulencu recorded eight strikeouts. 3B J.T. Warmouth went 3-for-3 with a grand slam home run, and RF Jeff Lemon made a throw to the plate in the eighth inning to preserve the shutout. In the second game, SS Billy Silvestri hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh of a seven-inning game to win it. The Eagles split two games at home against Thomas (GA), winning 5-3, and losing 3-4. The Eagles were out-hit 11-4 in the first game, but the Night Hawks stranded ten baserunners; Robbie Ratliff got the win. DH Mike Lane singled in the winning run for the Night Hawks in the second game; Kurtis Mancauskas went the seven-inning distance, got the win. The Eagles then won a suspended game at Savannah College of Art and Design 8-6. The Eagles visit Southeastern March 30-31.

Azusa Pacific (13-2 GSAC) won three of four against #14 Concordia-Irvine, losing the first game 8-7, and winning the remaining three games 10-6 (13 innings), 7-3, and 11-6. The Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the first game, and DH Ryan Scornaenchi singled in the winning run. The Eagles got a home run from 1B Aaron Gates in the bottom of the ninth to send the second game into extra innings, but Colby Gurney was able to hold the Eagles to three hits over the next 3 2/3 innings, and CF Matt Kimmel hit a grand slam home run to win it. Ben Ruder went the distance for the Cougars in the third game, scattered nine hits. Kimmel went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the fourth game. The Cougars host Vanguard March 29-30, and visit Vanguard March 31. They visit The Master's for a makeup game April 2. The Cougars lead the Golden State Athletic Conference; Concordia and Biola are tied for second with 10-6 records.

Okahoma Baptist (9-3 SAC) lost two of three to #3 Oklahoma City (see above). The Bison host Southern Nazarene March 29 and visit Northwest Nazarene March 31. Oklahoma Baptist provides streaming video of their home games.

Tennessee Wesleyan (9-0 Appalachian Athletic Conference) visits Cumberland March 28, and Bluefield March 31 and April 1.

Faulkner (15-3 SSAC) swept three games against William Carey, 5-2, 14-3, and 12-7. DH Brennan Olive went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the first game. 1B John Gunnels went 3-for-5 with three RBI in the third game. The Eagles host Loyola-New Orleans March 30-31, and Division II West Alabama April 2. Faulkner provides streaming video of their home games.

Point Park won two games against SUNY-Canton, 4-1 and 12-2. Two more scheduled games against SUNY-Canton were cancelled. Derek Peluso got the win in the first game, went five innings, struck out eight. The Pioneers host Houghton March 30-31.

Spring Arbor split two games at Indiana Wesleyan, 5-3 and 3-9, and swept two games at Bethel (IN), 6-0 and 13-3. Jerry Ferris pitched the seven-inning shutout against Bethel, struck out seven. Dane Staples got the win in the second game. Staples pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Mount Marty on March 16, struck out five, walked four. The Cougars host Mount Vernon Nazarene March 29, and visit Mount Vernon Nazarene March 31.