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.
#4 Oklahoma City needed a two-run home run by Kale Gaden in the bottom of the eighth to defeat MidAmerica Nazarene 2-1. Stars starter Derek Howell went seven innings, allowed one run on four hits, and struck out eight, but the win went to Davis Henderson, who pitched two perfect innings, and struck out the side in the ninth (story).
The next day, the Stars got another win against MidAmerica Nazarene, 14-2, and lost to #17 Bellevue 15-3. In the first game, DH/P Jonathan Sigado went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, and drew two walks. Cody Crabaugh got the win for the Stars, went six innings, allowed four hits, struck out five. In the second game, CF Tanner Moore went 4-for-6 with two RBI and four runs scored for the Bruins. Roberto Greco went the distance for the Bruins, recorded eight strikeouts (story).
On Sunday, the Stars won a rematch against Bellevue 11-5. CF Cody Ferrell went 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. Dalton Bernardi got the win in relief; he went 4 1/3 innings, allowed two hits, struck out seven (story).
The Stars are 11-3, and Bellevue is 5-1-1. The Stars visit Division II East Central February 20, and host Tabor February 22-23. The Bruins visit Missouri Valley February 22-23.
#5 Rogers State lost 6-5 to Bacone in mid-week, and swept four games against Baker, 4-1, 9-3, 4-0, and 4-3. Bacone trailed 4-0 at one point, but the Warriors tied it in the bottom of the seventh with a pinch-hit home run by Eric Folkers, and got the winning run in the bottom of the eighth with three walks and a wild pitch. Cody McBride, who held the Hillcats hitless for the last two innings, got the win.
Shawn Spainhoward went the distance in the first game against Baker, allowed four hits. Kyle Duncan got the win in the second game, allowed three hits in six innings of work. Brandon Bargas got the complete-game shutout in the third game, allowed five hits, struck out eight. Casey Cassity got the win in the fourth game.
The Hillcats host Ecclesia February 23. streaming audio
#6 Point Park starts their season February 22 at Martin Methodist. They visit Talladega February 23, and Campbellsville February 24 (streaming video).
#7 Embry-Riddle swept three games against #21 South Carolina-Beaufort 9-0, 6-3, and 5-1. Kevin Maloney and Jon Rapose combined for the shutout in the first game (story). Matt Jacobs went 3-for-3 in the second game, and singled in the winning run. Chad Modomo got the win, allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings. Stetson Nelson got the win in the third game, allowed six hits over 8 1/3 innings, struck out eight. Jacobs went 3-for-4 with two RBI.(story)
The Eagles are 9-1, and Jacobs is batting .462. They visit Thomas (GA) February 22-23.
#8 Lewis-Clark State got the first loss of the Jeremiah Robbins era against Division II Central Washington, 2-1. The Warriors were on the receiving end of a two-hitter by LHP Skye Adams of the Wildcats. He struck out six (story). The Warriors defeated Concordia-Portland 13-2 and C. of Idaho 5-1 the next day. Starter Garrett Wilson got the win against C. of Idaho, went seven innings, held the Coyotes to four hits. CF Zach Holley went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI (story).
On Sunday, the Warriors avenged the loss to Central Washington, defeating them 14-3. The Wildcats were in the game until the eighth inning, when the Warriors erupted for nine runs, led by a grand slam home run by 2B Brian Corliss. Cordell Greene got the win (story).
The Warriors are 7-1. They host Division II Western Oregon February 22-24. streaming audio
#9 Faulkner swept Belhaven, 7-2, 10-0, and 10-0. Will Dismukes, Johnny Shuttlesworth, and Julian Esquibel all went the distance for the Eagles. Shuttlesworth and Esquibel got shutouts. Shuttlesworth allowed three hits, struck out six (story), and Esquibel allowed five hits, struck out seven (story).
The Eagles are 12-1. They host Cumberland on February 19, and Emmanuel February 22-23.
#10 Oklahoma Baptist won two of three against Peru State, 13-8, 20-3, and 2-3. The Bison led the first game 9-0 after two innings, but they needed a good relief effort by Chris Rogers to preserve the win (story). C Mason Ankeney went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. The Bison out-hit the Bobcats 5-4 in the third game, by 2B Ronald Tanner hit an RBI single in the seventh inning to win it. Derek Voigt got the win in relief (story).
The Bison host Bethany (KS) February 19, Evangel (with a 9-1 record) February 22, and Central Methodist February 23.
Six Cal State San Marcos pitchers combined for a no-hitter against non-NAIA, non-NCAA Bethesda. It was the first no-hitter in school history. In the second game of the double-header, however, the Cougars were held hitless for five innings by Bethesda's Drew Hammond. They had to manufacture a run for a 1-0 win. Tyler Bernard opened the inning with a single, was bunted to second, went to third on an infield hit by Kyle Secciani (the shortstop who fielded the ground ball was distracted by Bernard), then scored when a pitch by Hammond went into the dirt (story). The Cougars host Biola February 19, and La Sierra February 22 and 24.
The Master's have taken the lead in the Golden State Athletic Conference lead with a three-game sweep of Vanguard. The Mustangs host Arizona Christian February 22-23. Streaming video
More teams with good starts: U. of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is 12-2. Saint Thomas (FL) is 10-2. Saint Andrew's is 7-1.