NAIA baseball action during the past week, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking.
ISR #1 Lewis-Clark State is also #1 in strength of schedule. They swept four games against Menlo, 10-3, 8-1, 2-0, and 11-7. 2B Brian Corliss was 2-for-4 with a bases-loaded triple in the first game (story). RF Cody Lavalli went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the second game. Carsen Nylund and Steve Thompson combined for the shutout in the third game; Nylund went eight innings, allowed two hits, struck out eight. LF Jake Shirley scored the winning run on a ground out by CF Zach Holley in the first inning (story). Lavalli hit another home run in the fourth game, went 2-for-4 with four RBI (story).
The Warriors host Oregon Tech March 15-16 (streaming audio). They then travel to Daytona Beach, FL for six games, starting with Saint Thomas on March 18.
#2 Faulkner lost a mid-week game to Point, 3-2. All three of Point's runs were unearned, and Tommy Braddock got the win for the Skyhawks. The Eagles then lost the first game of a series at Spring Hill, 6-5 (ten innings). The Eagles trailed most of the game, but took a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth on three unearned runs. The Badgers sent it into extra innings with an RBI single by 2B Brian Sims. The winning run came on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Trey Marshall. Douglas Keller, who allowed only one hit the last three innings, got the win (story).
The Badgers didn't get another run in the series; the Eagles won the remaining two games 6-0 and 11-0. Will Dismukes and Julian Esquibel pitched the shutouts. 1B Ethan Williams hit a three-run home run in the first game, and C Zach Colby went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the second game. (story).
The Eagles are 21-4, and Esquibel is 6-0 in six starts, with an ERA of 1.05. The Eagles visit Blue Mountain March 12, and host #18 William Carey March 15-16.
#3 Lee lost two of three at #18 William Carey. They lost the first two games 8-2 and 4-2, and won the third game 5-4. Jake Fabre went the distance for the Crusaders in the first game, allowed seven hits, struck out 14. The Flames used six pitchers, and six of the Crusaders' runs were unearned (story). Vito Perno hit a two-RBI single in the first inning for the winning run in the second game; Cullen Babin got the win. The Flames nearly got swept; they trailed 4-2 going into the ninth inning of the third game. Danny Canela hit a two-RBI double in the top of the ninth to tie it, and Corey Davis, pinch-running for Canela, scored on a wild pitch for the winning run. Andy Hillis got the win in relief; he pitched 2 1/3 innings, didn't allow a hit, struck out four, and was throwing 99 MPH fastballs (story).
The Flames host #23 Lindsey Wilson March 12, and Emmanuel March 15-16.
#4 Cal State San Marcos defeated Ashford 8-2 (story), and won two of three against Sioux Falls, 9-1, 6-3, and 0-9. In the first game against Sioux Falls, James Dykstra struck out 12, tying a school record he set last season. C Kody Sepulveda batted in three runs for the CSUSM (story). Henry Ojeda pitched the shutout for Sioux Falls in the third game, allowed five hits. 3B Jeremy Varner went 3-for-4 with three RBI for Sioux Falls.
Dykstra is 5-0, 1.38 ERA, with 43 strikeouts; he has recorded 11 or more strikeouts in his last three appearances. CSUSM hosts Vanguard March 15, and visits Vanguard March 16.
#5 Embry-Riddle was 8-0 for the week. The Eagles started by defeating Clarke 3-2; 3B Jeff Lemon singled in the winning run. Stetson Nelson got the win, and Kevin Maloney, Benjamin-Antwan Brown, and Ronnie Lozada held Clarke to one hit over the last three innings (story). The Eagles defeated Bethel (TN) 7-1; Brian Johnson and Brown combined for a two-hitter. They defeated Aquinas 5-1; LF Liam Goodall went 3-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run and rwo RBI. Dylan Demarest went 5 2/3 innings, allowed four hits, struck out six (story). The Eagles then swept a double-header against Point Park, 8-3 and 2-1. Kevin Maloney got the win in the first game to run his career record to 23-0. DH Dillon Ennis hit a walk-off RBI single to win the second game (story). The Eagles got another walk-off win against Viterbo the next day. They trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, but Ennis hit a single, and pinch-runner Connor Williams scored the tying run on a throwing error, which also allowed Ennis to go to third. Ennis then scored the winning run on a balk. Brown got the win in relief, retired all nine batters he faced (story). The Eagles finished the week with a double-header sweep of Edward Waters, 9-4 and 5-2. The Eagles trailed the first game 4-2 going into the bottom of the fifth, but a two-RBI double by C Adam Cellini provided the winning run. CF Kyle Chastain went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and a stolen base in the second game (story).
The Eagles are 21-3, and have won 11 straight. They host Indiana Tech March 14, and return to Sun Conference play hosting Northwood (FL) March 15-16. Streaming video (for a price)
#6 Cumberland (#2 SoS) swept three games at Shawnee State, 8-7 (13 innings), 4-1, and 12-5. The winning run in the first game came on a double steal by DH Daniel Harrison and 2B Josciel Veras. Kevin P. Green held the Bears scoreless over the last 6 2/3 innings; he was helped by two double plays, one of which ended the game in the bottom of the 13th (story). SS Cory Urquart singled in the winning run in the second game, went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI (story). The Bulldogs got another win against #41 Missouri Baptist, 7-1. Tyler Adams went the distance, allowed three hits (story).
The Bulldogs host Judson and play Missouri Baptist again on March 12 (live video for a price). They host West Virginia Tech on March 13, visit Pikeville March 15-16, and Freed-Hardeman March 18.
#7 Georgetown C. (KY) swept three games against Lindsey Wilson, 10-0, 6-0, and 2-1 (8 innings, scheduled for 7). Matt Smith pitched the shutout in the first game (story), Tyler Arthur and Brett Smith combined for the shutout in the second game. 3B E.J. Murray hit a sacrifice fly for the winning run in the third game.
The Tigers host Indiana-Southeast March 14, and visit Campbellsville March 15-16.
#8 Concordia-Irvine won two of three at Vanguard, 10-4, 3-4, and 2-1 (11 innings). 2B Spencer Ofelt went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the first game; Cole Swanson got the win. The Eagles outhit the Lions 9-6 in the second game, but the Lions got an unearned run on an RBI single by CF Thomas Mobley to win it (story). 3B Ryan DiMascio singled in the winning run in the third game; he was 3-for-4 for the game. Starter Chris Garrison went 7+ innings, allowed four hits, struck out ten. Danny Romero went the last four innings, got the win; he allowed only one hit, struck out five.
The Eagles trail #10 The Master's by two games in the Golden State Athletic Conference. They host Sioux Falls March 12-13, and visit Arizona Christian March 15-16.
#9 Oklahoma City got a 9-4 midweek win over Oklahoma Wesleyan; SS Chase Jensen batted in three runs, and Ricky Spain got the win (story). The Stars then split four games with #28 Oklahoma Baptist. They won the first two games at home, 5-4 and 3-2. The Stars trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the seventh and final inning of the first game; C Cale Gaden hit an RBI double to win it. Davis Henderson, who faced four batters, got the win. Starter Derek Howell went 6 1/3 innings, allowed four hits, struck out seven. 3B Chris Munoz hit a home run for the winning run in the second game; Cody Crabaugh went the distance for the Stars, allowed four hits (story).
The Bison won the next two games at their home, 5-2 and 3-2. CF Kevin Hatch hit a three-run home run in the first game. Julian Merryweather got the win, went five innings, allowed four hits, struck out six. Ryan Gibson and Davis Henderson combined for a no-hitter for the Stars in the second game, but the Bison got three unearned runs in the second inning. 2B Greg Nelson got an RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk, and RF Mitch Warne, who reached on a walk, scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Jordan Morales went the seven-inning distance for the Bison, allowed six hits, struck out 10 (story).
The Stars visit Northwood (TX) March 12, host Briar Cliff March 15-16 (streaming video for a price), and host Division II East Central March 18.
Morales is 2-0, 1.90 ERA with 24 strikeouts for the Bison. They host East Central March 12, non-NAIA Dallas Christian March 15-16, and Tabor March 18.
#10 The Master's defeated Ashford 10-1, and swept Westmont 8-5, 6-4, and 7-1. The Mustangs used six pitchers to hold Ashford to three hits (story). LF Steve Karkenny hit two home runs in the first game against Westmont, went 3-for-5 with six RBI (story). Karkenny got three RBI in the second game. Tyler Elrod got the win in the third game, scattered six hits over six innings, struck out five (story).
Karkenny is batting .380 with six home runs and 30 RBI for the Mustangs. They visit Biola March 15-16. Streaming video (good quality)
More teams with good starts: Freed-Hardeman is 19-2-1, U. of Science and Arts of Oklahoma is 20-3, and Lubbock Christian is 18-4.