Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 2, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below the fold.

First-place votes: Lee 15, Oklahoma City 4, Northwood (TX) 1
Concordia-Irvine is #1 in Strength of Schedule

#1 Lee is #16 in strength of schedule. The Flames defeated #10 Tennessee Wesleyan 4-3 (10 innings). The Flames trailed 3-0 after seven innings, but pinch-hitter Cameron Brewster hit a two-run home run in the eighth, and 1B Karsten Strieby hit an RBI single in the ninth to send it into extra innings. DH Corey Davis drew a bases-loaded walk in the tenth to bring in the winning run. Andy Hillis got the win with a lights-out relief appearance; he retired all nine batters he faced, struck out seven of them. The Flames and the defending champions played each other three times this season, and the Flames won two of them. All three games had 4-3 scores, and two of them went ten innings (story). They play one more time on April 9.

The Flames then swept Loyola-New Orleans, 8-2, 11-0, and 10-0. In the first game, RF Derrick Pitts and SS Josh Silver hit home runs, and Pitts went 2-for-3. Myles Smith got the win, struck out eight batters in five innings of work. Jose Samayoa, David Eskew, and C.J. Lusted combined for a one-hit shutout in the second game. Samayoa went six innings, struck out 11. Silver and 2B Mark Silva hit home runs, and Silver was 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBI (story). Four pitchers combined for the shutout in the third game; Clint Terry got the win, went five innings, allowed all six Wolfpack hits, struck out seven. C Jordan Stewart hit a home run in this one. Ten different Flames collected hits (story).

The Flames continue to be tied with #3 Faulkner for the lead in the Southern States Athletic Conference. The Flames host #14 Cumberland April 2, and Talladega April 5-6.

#2 Oklahoma City lost a midweek game to Division II Southern Nazarene 3-2. They then swept Science and Arts of Oklahoma (ISR #17), 6-2, 4-3, 10-7, and 2-1 (eight innings, scheduled for seven). 3B Chris Muñoz hit a solo home run for the winning run in the first game. DH Jonathan Sigado hit a home run earlier in the game, finished 2-for-3 with four RBI. Derek Howell went the seven-inning distance for the Stars, allowed seven hits, struck out nine. Muñoz also batted in the winning run in the second game, an RBI single in the fifth inning. He finished 2-for-3, batted in two of the Stars' four runs. Cody Crabaugh got the win to run his record to 8-1, 1.81 ERA (story). The Stars trailed the third game 4-0 at one point. Sigado hit an RBI double in the top of the seventh for the winning run, and the insurance runs came on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Josh Dickey, and a home run by SS Chase Jensen. C Kale Gaden went 3-for-5 with five RBI. Reliever Shane Henderson got his first win of the season. The fourth game was scoreless during the regulation seven innings. Ryan Gibson kept the Drovers off the board for the first six innings, allowed four hits, struck out eight. Jensen hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth. The Drovers answered with a sacrifice fly by 3B Heath Wilda in the bottom of the eighth, but a ground out ended the game. Seth Sturgeon went the distance for the Drovers, allowed seven hits. Patrick Goelz, who pitched the seventh inning and struck out two of the four batters he faced, got the win (story).

The Stars host Texas Wesleyan April 2 (live video for a price), host Mid-America Christian April 4 and 6, and visit Mid-America Christian April 5. The showdown with #6 Lubbock Christian is April 12-13.

#3 Faulkner swept Mobile, 5-0, 3-1, and 8-5. Johnny Shuttlesworh pitched the shutout in the first game, allowed six hits. 1B Ethan Williams hit a three-run home run in the first inning (story). DH Michael Cruz hit a two-run home run for the winning run in the second game. Will Dismukes got the win, scattered nine hits, struck out seven. SS Dauris Holguin hit a two-RBI for the winning run in the third game; Julian Esquibel got the win (story).

Shuttlesworth has the second-lowest ERA in the NAIA, 0.83. The Eagles visit Talladega for a double-header April 2, host Brewton-Parker April 5-6, and host Blue Mountain April 8.

#4 Northwood (TX) won two of three against LSU-Shreveport, 6-1, 5-9, and 5-3 (10 innings). Cody Gray got the win in the first game, to run his record to 8-1. DH Greg Friesen went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI for the Pilots in the second game. Ben Suit got the win in relief, but pitched only 2/3 of an inning (story). 2B Isaac Maturino hit a walk-off two-run home run to win the third game. The Knights out-hit the Pilots 11-4, and used six pitchers (story).

The Knights visit #23 Bacone April 5-6.

#5 and ISR #1 Lewis-Clark State is #8 in strength of schedule. They won three of four at C. of Idaho, 2-3, 17-3, 11-7, and 13-0. The Coyotes won the first game when a high fly ball hit by 2B Riley Humberger was lost in the sun, allowing two runs to score. Vernon Parker got the win (story). 2B Ryan Sells went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI, and a sacrifice fly to send in the winning run in the second game. Carsen Nylund got the win. The third game was nore lop-sided than the score indicates; the Coyotes got all seven of their runs in the bottom of the ninth. Steve Thompson held the Coyotes to three hits over the first seven innings, struck out nine (story). Seth Haehl and Sal Arena combined for the shutout in the fourth game, and Haehl got his second start and first win of the season, allowed three hits over six innings. RF Cody Lavalli went 4-for-5 with a triple, a double, and three RBI (story).

The Warriors continue to lead NAIA West. They visit Concordia-Portland April 5-7 (live video).

#6 Lubbock Christian won three of four at Saint Gregory's, 3-7, 18-6, 3-2, and 8-0. Ben Moore got the win in the first game, scattered ten hits. C Wigberto Nevarez hit four home runs in the second game, and batted in nine of the Chaparrals' 18 runs (story). He was named NAIA Player of the Week. He also hit home runs in the third and fourth games. Jack Mabe went the seven-inning distance in the third game, allowed seven hits, struck out seven. SS Christian Vasquez singled in the winning tun. Jarrett Porter pitched a one-hit shutout in the fourth game, struck out ten (story).

Kauten leads the NAIA with 12 home runs. The Chaparrals host #17 Oklahoma Baptist April 5-6.

#7 The Master's lost two of three at #12 Concordia-Irvine, winning 7-5, and losing 2-0 and 6-0. The Mustangs got four runs in the top of the eighth to win the first game, all with two outs. SS Jonathan Popadics hit a two-RBI single for the winning run (story). Cole Swanson pitched a four-hit shutout in the second game, struck out five. Matt Palmer batted in the first run for the Eagles, then scored the second run on a squeeze bunt by Chris Kuber. Chris Garrison pitched the shutout in the third game, allowed six hits, struck out five. DH Spencer Ofelt was 2-for-2 with a a double and three RBI (story).

The Mustangs lead the Eagles by 2 ½ games in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Mustangs host Vanguard April 5-6 (good quality streaming video). The Eagles host Westmont (ISR #21) April 5-6.

#8 Embry-Riddle avenged a shutout by Northwestern Ohio by shutting them out 14-0 the next day. Four Eagles pitchers combined for the shutout, and Kevin Lindheim got the win. Lindheim was also 2-for-3 with three RBI at the plate; two of the RBI were on bases-loaded walks (story). The Eagles then won two of three against Ave Maria, 6-5, 1-7, and 4-3. The Eagles had to come from behind in the first game, got an RBI double by 1B Jordan Johnson in the bottom of the eighth to win it. Eric Green got the win, pitched the final three innings, allowed two hits, struck out five. This game drew 357 fans. (story) Joe Bocchino, who went the distance in the Gyrenes' win over Florida Gulf Coast, got the win in the second game. He went 8 2/3 innings, allowed five hits. C Conor Sullivan went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Gyrenes. The Eagles had to come from behind in the third game, too; SS Jordan Romero hit an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to win it. Stetson Nelson made a solid start for the Eagles, striking out eight over seven innings of work, but Eric Green got the win in relief (story).

Green is 5-0, 1.08 ERA, and 43 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched, all in relief. Nelson has 67 strikeouts, fifth-best in the NAIA. The Eagles play the single-A Daytona Cubs on April 3, and visit Florida Memorial April 5-6.

#9 Bellevue has won 19 straight. They got a 6-3 mid-week win over Midland. Sean McManus got the win, pitched six shutout innings, allowed five hits, struck out six (story). They swept four games against Waldorf, 7-1, 6-5, 3-0, and 7-0. Robert Greco went the distance in the first game, allowed four hits. LF Tanner Moore hit an RBI single for the winning run in the second game (story). Ricky Holm pitched a three-hit shutout in the third game, struck out 13. He was upstaged in the fourth game by Kody McFarland, who allowed two hits, and also struck out 13, but he did it in seven innings instead of nine (story).

The Bruins got one more win on the week, 9-6 against Morningside. CF Zack Clark went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI (story). The Bruins host #16 York April 5-6.

#10 Tennessee Wesleyan lost to #1 Lee in mid-week, and won two of three against #14 Cumberland, 1-0, 2-5 (eight innings, scheduled for seven) and 7-3. Corey Rhoney pitched the shutout in the first game, allowed four hits, struck out five. 3B Jake Stone doubled in the only run of the game. Anthony Gomez went the distance in the second game for Cumberland, allowed no earned runs on five hits. Pinch-hitter Andrew Henson singled in the winning run. Jarrod Jameson and Tyler Wilson combined for a two-hitter in the third game. Stone and SS Wes Minton hit home runs, and courtesy runner Brad Carpenter scored the winning run on an error. Minton batted in three runs (story).

Stone has ten home runs, and is tied for first place in the NAIA with Lubbock's Nevarez. Tennessee Wesleyan visits Georgetown C. (KY) (ISR #14) April 3, and hosts Point April 6-7. They have another game at Lee April 9.