NAIA baseball action during the past week, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking.
ISR #1 Lewis-Clark State is #8 in strength of schedule. They swept four games against Oregon Tech, 13-3, 8-2, 20-1, and 12-9. Garrett Wilson went the distance in the second game, allowed eight hits, struck out four (story). 3B/1B Brady Steiger went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in the third game, and Ryan Sells got the win (story). Steiger was 12-for-16 with five doubles and two home runs for the series, and he is batting .482.
The Warriors then won the first of six games in Daytona Beach, FL. They defeated Saint Thomas 3-2. DH Eric Peterson singled in the winning run, and Carson Nylund got the win (story).
The Warriors play at #12 Embry-Riddle March 19, 21, 22, and 23, and play Webber International March 20 in Daytona Beach.
#2 Cal State San Marcos swept four games against Vanguard, 3-0, 6-2, 5-1, and 8-1. James Dykstra pitched the first eight innings of the shutout in the first game, allowed two hits, struck out 10. 3B Kenny Belzer hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning for the winning run. The losing pitcher, Kanakani Usui, went the distance, allowed only five hits. The Lions were done in by four unearned runs on four errors in the second game. LF Kyle Kuck went 2-for-3, singled in the winning run, and pitched a hitless seventh inning (story). Steve Messner went the distance in the third game, allowed four hits. Belzer went 2-for-5, batted in three runs, including the winning run. Kevin Hilton went the seven-inning distance in the fourth game, allowed seven hits, struck out three. The Cougars' first two runs came on balks (story).
The Cougars are 19-2. Hilton is 4-0, 0.82 ERA, and Dykstra is 6-0, 1.15 ERA, with 53 strikeouts. The Cougars visit now-Division-II Point Loma Nazarene March 22, and host Point Loma March 23.
#3 Science and Arts of Oklahoma won a mid-week game against Bacone 9-7 by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, capped by a two-run home run by C Owen Adams. The Drovers then swept non-NAIA Arlington Baptist, 20-2, 4-2, and 4-3 (eight innings, scheduled for seven). David Garcia, Blake McMullen, and Josh Goodman got the wins. DH Chance Hill hit an RBI single for the winning run in the third game.
McMullen is 7-0, 2.12 ERA, with 52 strikeouts for the Drovers, and Garcia is 7-0, 3.45 ERA. The Drovers visit Friends March 19, and Lubbock Christian March 22-23.
#4 Lee lost a mid-week game to #28 Lindsey Wilson, 6-5. RF Jeff Kerian batted in the winning run for the Blue Raiders, and Daniel Pulliam got the win in relief; he held the Flames scoreless over the last 4 2/3 innings (story). The Flames then swept Emmanuel, 3-1, 5-0, and 9-3. Myles Smith got the win in the first game, went seven innings, allowed three hits, struck out eight. RF Corey Davis singled in the winning run (story). Jose Samayoa and Andy Hillis combined for a three-hit shutout in the second game. Samayoa went six innings, allowed three hits, struck out eight. The Flames got all five of their runs in the sixth inning. Davis and C Jordan Stewart hit home runs in the fourth game (story).
The Flames are 23-6. They are tied with Faulkner and William Carey for the Southern States Athletic Conference lead; they all have 12-3 conference records. They host Bryan March 19, and #18 Southern Polytechnic March 22-23.
After losing a game to #6 Northwood (TX), #5 Oklahoma City won two games against Briar Cliff, 16-2 and 5-1. DH Josh Dickey hit two home runs in the first game, Derek Howell got the win (story). C Kale Gaden hit a two-run home run in the second game. Cody Crabaugh got the win, allowed three hits and recorded six strikeouts over six innings (story).
The Stars visit Saint Gregory's March 21, and host Saint Gregory's March 23 (live video for a price).
#6 Northwood (TX) won a mid-week game against #5 Oklahoma City, 3-1. LF Herb Romero hit a two-run home run for the winning run. The Knights won all three of their games against the Stars this season (story). The Knights then swept three games against Texas Wesleyan, 10-5, 5-3, and 11-5. C Adam Humes hit a grand slam home run in the first game. He hit another home run in the second game; Roman Gomez got the win. The third game was played at Rangers Ballpark, and drew 1,000 fans. Humes went 3-for-5 with three RBI (story).
The Knights host Division III Texas-Dallas March 19, and Wiley March 22-23.
#7 Faulkner swept a mid-week double-header at Blue Mountain, 7-0 and 9-5. Ryan Smith and Justin Hallmark combined for the shutout in the first game. C Sergio Sanchez went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI in the second game.
The Eagles then lost two of three to #16 William Carey, losing 7-0, winning 14-2, and losing 12-7. Jake Fabre went eight innings for the Crusaders in the shutout, allowed three hits, struck out ten (story). DH Michael Cruz hit a grand slam home run for the Eagles in the second game, and SS Dauris Holguin hit a three-run home run. Will Dismukes got the win. Mitch Bohon hit a three-run home run in the third game, helping to hand Julian Esquibel his first loss of the season. Cade LeBlanc got the win in the relief, struck out ten (story).
The Eagles visit #21 Cumberland March 19, #28 Lindsey Wilson March 20, and Loyola-New Orleans March 22-23.
#9 Campbellsville went 7-0 for the week. They swept a double-header against Bryan 4-0 and 5-3. Drew Pettit, Mason Yates, and Jacob Phillips combined for the shutout in the first game; Pettit struck out six batters in only 3 2/3 innings of work. The Tigers were out-hit 7-5 in the second game, but got the winning run on an RBI single by 2B Michael Bush in the fourth inning (story). The Tigers then swept another double-header against non-NAIA Ohio Mid-Western, 5-1 and 11-0; Shane Woodson and Dario Bortolotto combined for a one-hitter in the second game.
Next, the Tigers swept #20 Georgetown C. (KY), 5-4, 5-4, and 11-3. 1B Josh Potter stole home for the winning run on the first game. Georgetown missed a chance to tie it in the top of the ninth when pinch-runner D.J. Collins was forced out at home. Patrick McMeel got the win, struck out nine batters in seven innings. Potter went 3-for-4 with three RBI in the second game, and singled in the winning run. Pettit got the win, faced only two batters (story). SS Tanner Nielson went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the third game, Matt Robertson got the win (story).
The Tigers have won 11 straight. They host Mid-Continent March 20, and Virginia-Wise March 22-23.
#10 Tennessee Wesleyan won two mid-week games, defeating non-NAIA Ohio Christian 10-0 (Brent Adheen pitched the shutout) and Virginia-Wise 2-1. The runs against the Cavaliers came on a home run by C Brackton Smith, and a sacrifice fly by LF Logan Dalton. Zach Fleshman got the win, allowed four hits over six innings (story). The Bulldogs then swept Bryan, 8-4, 5-1, and 5-1. 3B Jake Stone went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI in the first game. Stone went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in the second game. Brian Bardis got the win. Jarrod Jameson pitched a one-hitter in the third game; the only hit was a home run by RF Blake Johnson. DH Josh McCray went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI (story).
The Bulldogs have won eight straight. Bardis is 4-0, 0.84 ERA. The Bulldogs host #20 Georgetown C. (KY) March 19, and visit Union C. (KY) March 23-24.
#11 Bellevue swept four games at Central Baptist, 11-3, 11-1, 15-5, and 11-0. LF Kyle Kinman went 3-for-6 with a home run, a triple, and four RBI. DH Tanner Moore went 3-for-4 in the second game (story). Kinman went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, and four RBI in the third game. Ricky Holm went the mercy-rule-shortened distance, allowed five hits, struck out 14. Kody McFarland pitched a three-hitter in the fourth game, struck out nine (story).
The Bruins have won ten straight, and all ten of those wins were on the road. Their home opener is March 19 against Northwestern (IA). They visit Northwestern March 22, and host them again March 23.
#13 Concordia-Irvine is #1 in strength of schedule. #17 The Master's leads Concordia by two games in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
RHP Elliott Engle pitched a perfect seven-inning game for Doane in a 7-0 win over non-NAIA Manhattan Christian. He struck out 12 batters (story).
More teams with good starts: Freed-Hardeman is 23-3-1, Mayville State is 11-1-1, and #22 Virginia Intermont is 14-3.