Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' poll for May 5, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking. Recap below.

First-place votes: Faulkner 11, Oklahoma City 10
Westmont is #1 in Strength of Schedule

Both #1 Faulkner (#20 in SoS) and #3 Lee were undefeated in the round-robin phase of the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament. The Eagles defeated Auburn-Montgomery 19-6 (story), Southern Polytechnic 10-0 (story), and Belhaven 1-0 (story). Johnny Shuttlesworth went the mercy-rule-shortened distance against Southern Polytechnic, allowed two hits, struck out five. Will Dismukes and Labradford Griffis combined for the shutout against Belhaven.

The Flames defeated Brewton-Parker 4-2 (story), Mobile 10-0 (story), and #25 William Carey 11-5 (story). The Flames had only four hits against Brewton-Parker, but 3B Brandon Rader hit an RBI double for the winning run, batted in another run and scored a run. Clint Terry got the win, allowed three hits over seven innings. Myles Smith and C.J. Lusted combined for the mercy-rule-shortened shutout against Mobile. DH Corey Davis went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI against William Carey.

So, the stage was set for a tournament final between the Eagles and Flames, which would have been the first time these two teams met this year. It didn't happen; the game was rained out, and the Eagles and Flames were declared co-champions. (The Eagles won the regular season pennant by ½ game.)

Shuttlesworth is 12-1, 1.15 ERA. Dismukes is 10-1, 2.11 ERA, with 86 strikeouts. Shuttlesworth is tied for fourth in the NAIA in wins, and sixth in the NAIA in ERA. Dismukes is tied with four pitchers, including A.J. Work of The Master's, for fifth place in wins.

The Eagles and Flames are both hosting Opening Round tournaments. So, if they play each other this season, it will be in Lewiston.

#2 Oklahoma City (#45 in SoS) swept through the round-robin part of the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament, defeating Mid-America Christian 4-2 (story), Rogers State 7-9, and #23 Science and Arts of Oklahoma 4-2 (story). The Stars led Rogers State 7-1 going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Hillcats got back in it with a grand slam home run by SS Jose Olazagasti. The Hillcats got two more in the bottom of the ninth, but left the bases loaded. 3B Chris Muñoz batted in the winning runs against Mid-America Christian and Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

The Stars lost the tournament championship game to #4 Lubbock Christian, 6-5 (10 innings). The Stars got three runs in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings, but SS Christian Vasquez hit an RBI single in the top of the tenth for the Chaparrals. Dalton Silva, who came on for the Chaparrals to put out the fire in the ninth, pitched a lights-out tenth inning for the win. Vasquez also hit a solo home run in the game (story).

Cody Crabaugh got the win against Mid-America Christian, and his record is now 13-1, 2.08 ERA. He is tied for second (with Jarrod Jameson of Tennessee Wesleyan) in the NAIA in wins. The Stars are hosting one of the Opening Round tournaments May 9-13.

#4 Lubbock Christian won two of three in the round-robin part of the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament, defeating Saint Gregory's 3-1 (story), losing to Wayland Baptist 4-1, and defeating Oklahoma Baptist 3-1 (story). The Chaparrals then defeated #2 Oklahoma City to win the conference championship (see above). Jack Mabe got the win against Saint Gregory's, went 8 2/3 innings, allowed one run on five hits. CF Johnny Hendrixon hit a solo home run for the winning run for Wayland Baptist, scored another run later in the game. Tom Bailey got the win for the Pioneers. All three runs against Oklahoma Baptist came in bottom of the fourth; CF Tanner Rainey hit a two-RBI double, and SS Christian Vasquez hit an RBI single. Derek Loera went the distance for the Chaparrals, struck out six; both teams had eight hits.

#5 Embry-Riddle won The Sun Conference tournament the hard way. After losing their first-round game to South Carolina-Beaufort, the Eagles came up with five straight wins: 1-0 over Ave Maria (story), 3-1 over Webber International (story), 10-6 over Southeastern, and 5-0 and 2-1 in the finals against South Carolina-Beaufort (story). The game against Ave Maria was suspended in the seventh inning because of rain, and completed the next day. SS Jordan Romero hit an RBI double for the only run of the game, and LF Liam Goodall made a fantastic diving catch to rob the Gyrenes of the tying run. Kevin Maloney got the win. CF Kyle Chastain hit an RBI triple for the winning run against Webber International. The Eagles were out-hit 7-4, but Chad Modomo, who pitched 8 1/3 innings, stranded seven baserunners. The Eagles then won three games in one day. Goodall made was was described as “the defensive play of the tournament” against Southeastern by going up and over the wall in left field to rob Southeastern's Daniel Mims of a home run. The Eagles pitched this game by committee to save their arms for South Carolina-Beaufort. John Rapose went the distance for the shutout in the first “final” against the Sand Sharks, allowed seven hits. Goodall went 2-for-3 with a double, batted in a run, and scored a run. Stetson Nelson, Dylan Demarest, and Benjamin Antwan-Brown combined to hold the Sand Sharks to six hits in the “if necessary” game. 3B Jeff Lemon batted in both of the Eagles' runs, with singles in the third and fifth innings.

The Eagles are hosting an Opening Round tournament.

#6 Northwood (TX) did not play this week. #24 LSU-Shreveport won the Red River Athletic Conference tournament, defeating #16 Texas Wesleyan twice, 19-6 and 5-4.

#7 The Master's (ISR #1, and #6 in SoS) won the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament. They defeated Arizona Christian 4-3 (story), #17 Concordia-Irvine 9-1 (story), and San Diego Christian (ISR #4) 8-3 (story). A.J. Work went the distance against Arizona Christian, allowed six hits, struck out six. Pinch-hitter Brett Piper hit an RBI single for the winning run. LF Steve Karkenny hit two home runs against Concordia, batted in five runs. James Scott got the win in relief. The final against San Diego Christian was close until the bottom of the eighth, when Piper, pinch-hitting again, hit a grand slam home run. It was Piper's first home run of the season. Andrew Klausmeier got the win.

The Mustangs are hosting an Opening Round tournament.

#8 Tennessee Wesleyan won the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament. The defending champions won two of three against Reinhardt in the preliminary double-elimination round, then defeated Virginia Intermont 10-1 in the single-game final (story). C Josh McCray went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI in the final. Brian Bardis got the win, went seven innings, allowed seven hits, struck out five.

The Appalachian Athletic Conference is hosting an Opening Round tournament in Kingsport, TN.

#9 York won the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, which was shortened to a single day because of bad weather. The Panthers defeated Central Baptist 18-3 in the final (story). (Central Baptist defeated #11 Bellevue in the semi-final.) LF Brett Wise went 4-for-5 with a triple and four RBI in the final.

#10 Lewis-Clark State hosted a tournament of Division III teams, and defeated Linfield, ranked #1 in Division III, 20-8, before a crowd of 415. The Warriors had 22 hits. C Kyle Blackwell went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI (story). The Warriors do not play again until the National Championship tournament, which starts May 24.