#1 Faulkner swept a series at Blue Mountain, 2-0, 8-1, and 10-1. Their record is now 8-2. LHP Thomas Dorminy pitched a one-hitter in the first game, struck out ten.RHP Jeremy Holcombe got the win in the second game, pitched six shutout innings, allowed three hits. RHP Julian Esquibel got the win in the third game. The Eagles visit Thomas Feb. 21-22.
#2 Lewis-Clark State started their season 4-0, sweeping Division II Montana State-Billings, 5-4, 20-6, 9-2, and 4-1. David Murillo, Beau Kerns, Dillon Keene, and Gunnar Swanson got the wins. Swanson went six innings, allowed three hits, struck out seven. LF/DH Kyle Knigge went 8-for-17 with four RBI for the series. The Warriors host Division II Western Oregon Feb. 21-23.
#3 Embry-Riddle swept South Carolina-Beaufort, 5-2, 4-0, and 3-1. RHP Daniel Poncedeleon went the nine-inning distance in the first game, struck out ten. LHP Stetson Nelson pitched all but the last out of a two-hit shutout in the second game, and the Eagles scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the eighth. RHP Corey Tufts and LHP Clayton Wagner combined for a one-hitter in the third game. The Sand Sharks got only nine hits in the series. The Eagles visit Division II Stillman Feb. 22-23.
#4 Missouri Baptist won three games at a tournament at Belhaven. The Spartans defeated Campbellsville 13-3, Saint Francis (IN) 19-3, and Belhaven 5-2. LF Orlando Olivera went 4-for-5 with two RBI against Campbellsville. 2B Jeff Smith went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI against Saint Francis. LHP Dave Mullins got the win against Belhaven; he went seven innings, allowed no earned runs and one hit. The Spartans host Indiana Wesleyan Feb. 21-22.
#5 Oklahoma City started the season 3-1, with a an 8-6 loss and an 11-3 win with MidAmerica Nazarene, and 3-1 and 5-4 wins over #14 Bellevue. C Connor Lynch had five hits, two home runs, and two doubles in 11 at-bats for the four games. Trent Hedlund got the win for the Pioneers in the first game; he pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowed four runs on five hits, struck out seven. CF Jordan Eckley scored three of the Pioneers' runs, including the winning run on a wild pitch. Chris Pike went the seven-inning distance in the 3-1 win over Bellevue, allowed no earned runs on four hits, struck out 12. The Stars were out-hit 10-4 by the Bruins in the fourth game, and Bruins starter Brennan Henry recorded ten strikeouts in five innings of work. However, two of the Stars' hits were a two-run home run by Lynch, and a solo home run by SS Garrett Foster in the bottom of the eighth to win it. The Stars host Tabor Feb. 21-22. Live video
#6 York started the season 5-0, and three of the wins were by mercy rule. The other two wins were 3-1 over Southwestern Christian and 10-1 over Saint Gregory's. RHP Dylan Morrow, a transfer from Armstrong Atlantic State, went the distance in the Southwestern Christian game, allowed no earned runs on four hits. LHP Josh Knoll got the win over Saint Gregory's, went seven innings, allowed two hits, struck out nine. CF Rudy Perez went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and four RBI. The Panthers visit #13 Northwood (TX) Feb. 21-22.
#7 Sterling defeated Peru State 2-1, and Wayland Baptist 3-1 and 11-2. RHP Steve Cazares went the seven-inning distance against Peru State, allowed six hits, struck out six. 2B Ricky Rodriguez hit an RBI single for the winning run. The first Wayland Baptist game was a pitching duel between LHP Omar Pelayo of the Warriors and RHP Tom Bailey of the Pioneers. Pelayo struck out nine, and Bailey, of Perth, Australia, struck out eight, but C Ian Josh hit an RBI single for the winning run. LF Chris Jacobs, RF LeJon Baker, and Rodriguez hit home runs in the second Wayland Baptist game, and both of the Pioneers' runs were unearned. The Warriors host #14 Bellevue Feb. 21-22.
#8 Tennessee Wesleyan had serious weather issues, and got in only a 9-4 win and a 2-2 tie against Indiana Tech; the games were moved to Cumberland. 1B Tim Keine went 3-for-5 with a home run in the first game. Brent Adheen pitched five innings of the second game, allowed no earned runs on two hits. The Bulldogs led 2-1 going into the seventh inning, but the Warriors got an RBI triple by CF Justin Kalusa in the top of the seventh to tie it. The Bulldogs host Indiana Southeast Feb. 21-22, and Point Park Feb. 23.
#12 The Master's swept Vanguard, 9-7, 5-3, and 9-3, then defeated Corban 4-3 to run their record to 16-2. RHP Jason Karkenny got his fourth relief win of the season in the first game, and got another relief win against Corban. Against Vanguard, he allowed two hits in 1 2/3 innings, and against Corban, he allowed three hits in 4 1/3 innings. His ERA is 0.95, and he has 12 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched. His brother, CF Steve Karkenny, hit an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth for the winning run. Courtesy runner Ethan Stine scored the winning run in the second Vanguard game on a wilp pitch.1B Collin Nyenhuis went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in the third Vanguard game. The Mustangs visit Arizona Christian Feb. 21-22. Live video
#10 Cumberland swept three games against Taylor, 15-5, 6-1, and 8-2. RF Justin Byrd went 4-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and two RBI in the first game. Anthony Gomez went the seven-inning distance in the second game, scattered six hits, struck out six. DH Chris Hall went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the third game. The Bulldogs host West Virginia Tech Feb. 21-22. Live video
Other teams with good starts: Oklahoma Baptist is 6-0, Saint Thomas (FL) is 6-1.