Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' Poll for March 25, 2014, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking.

First place votes: Faulkner 19, Oklahoma Baptist 1
Lewis-Clark State is #1 in Strength of Schedule

#1 Faulkner won a mid-week game over #6 Georgia Gwinnett, 4-2. The Eagles got all four of their runs on the third inning, and Patrick McGrady got the win in relief; he pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings. The loss broke a 20-game winning streak for the Grizzlies.

The Eagles then won two of three at William Carey, 10-5, 1-2, and 14-0. C Robert Liera hit an RBI double in the seventh inning for the winning run in the first game. The Eagles added four insurance runs in the eighth inning. Thomas Dorminy got the win, went seven innings, allowed seven hits. Both of the Crusaders' runs in the second game were unearned; they came in on a single by CF Jeremy Ferguson. Gavin Culpepper went the seven-inning distance for the Crusaders, allowed two hits, struck out four. The Eagles scored ten runs in the first inning of the third game. Kurt Lipscomb, Jay Gause, and Vinny Lujan combined for the two-hit mercy-rule-shortened shutout. Gause allowed both Crusader hits, but also recorded four strikeouts in two innings of work.

The defending champions have a two-game lead over #8 Belhaven and #17 Brewton-Parker in the Southern States Athletic Conference. They host U. of Mobile March 28-29. Live video

Georgia Gwinnett swept three games against non-NAIA Hiwassee, 10-2, 5-3, and 10-7. The Grizzlies then defeated Truett-McConnell 10-0. Five Grizzlies pitchers combined for the shutout, and RHP Jonathan Spitler got the win. C Sloan Strickland batted in three of the Grizzlies' runs. The Grizzlies host Emmanuel March 28, and visit Emmanuel March 29.

#2 Oklahoma Baptist won two of three over #11 Oklahoma City, 3-5, 12-1, and 17-4; both of the wins were mercy-ruled. Chris Pike, coming off a perfect game and a no-hitter, got the win in the first game. He pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowed two earned runs on nine hits, and struck out nine. 1B Forrest Smith hit two two-run home runs for the Stars. 3B Garrett Roberts went 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, three RBI, and two runs scored for the Bison in the second game. Jordan Morales went the distance for the Bison, allowed one run on five hits, struck out eight. 2B Ridge Hoopii-Haslam went 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI in the third game.

The Bison host #20 Wayland Baptist March 28-29. Live video Wayland Baptist has a 2 ½ game lead over the Bison in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Stars host Texas Wesleyan March 28-29. Live video

#3 Lewis-Clark State won four of five at Menlo, 5-4 (10 innings), 9-5, 16-4, 4-14, and 11-1; the last game was non-conference. C Jake Shirley hit an inside-the-park home run to start the first game, then hit an RBI single in the ninth to send it into extra innings. RF Cody Lavalli scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Shirley went 3-for-6 with four RBI in the third game. The Warriors were unable to solve Kyer Vega in the fourth game. Vega went the mercy-rule-shortened distance for the Oaks, allowed six hits. SS James Threw hit a grand slam home run for the Oaks. CF Ryan Sells hit three home runs for the Warriors in the fifth game, had five RBI. Ty Jackson got the win in his first pitching appearance of the season, pitched five innings, allowed four hits.

The Warriors trail ISR #1 British Columbia by one game in NAIA West. They visit Oregon Tech March 27-29.

#4 Missouri Baptist won two of three at Lyon, 5-0, 7-3, and 3-4 (11 innings). LHP Curtis Sawchuk pitched a two-hitter in the first game, struck out six. Brandon Zywicki went the seven-inning distance in the second game. 1B Wesley Roberson scored the winning run for the Scots in the third game, on a bases-loaded ground out by RB Colt Harmon. Ben Neyen got the win, retired all six batters he faced. The Spartans visit Mid-Continent March 28-29.

5 San Diego Christian won two of three over #7 The Master's, 7-3, 7-1, and 2-4. The Hawks took over the first game with four runs in the eighth inning; the winning run came on an RBI single by 3B Jeff Lusardi. Hawks starter Mark Vasquez got the win, went seven innings, allowed two earned runs on ten hits. Gabriel Hemmer went the nine-inning distance for the Hawks in the second game, held the Mustangs to four hits, struck out nine. DH Michael Stowers went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Hawks. The Hawks out-hit the Mustangs 7-3 in the third game, but the Mustangs got their first two runs on a single by DH Joshua Swartz in the second inning, and the winning run on a sacrifice fly by LF/P Steve Karkenny in the third inning. Tucker Richardson got the win, went five innings, allowed three hits. Steve Karkenny got a save.

The Hawks and Mustangs are tied for first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference, 1/2 game ahead of #12 Concordia-Irvine. The Mustangs host Concordia-Irvine March 28-29 High-quality live video The Hawks visit non-conference Cal State San Marcos March 28-29. Video

ISR #1 British Columbia swept Oregon Tech, 4-3, 9-0, 2-1, and 5-1. The Thunderbirds got a strong start from Sean Callegari in the first game (8 IP, four hits, six strikeouts), but let a 2-1 lead get away in the top of the ninth. They tied it in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by RF Tyler Enns, then got the winning run on a throwing error. The second game of a scheduled double-header was rained out, so the Thunderbirds and the Hustlin' Owls played three seven-inning games the next day. Conor Lillis-White went the distance for the one-hit shutout in the first of these games, struck out ten. C Cam Firth batted in three of the Thunderbirds' runs. 2B Matt Spillman hit an RBI single for the winning run in the second game; Curtis Taylor got the win in relief, allowed one hit in two innings. The Thunderbirds got all the runs they needed for the third game in the first inning on a two-RBI double by 1B Bruce Yari; Alex Webbb got the win in relief, allowed one hit in two innings.

The Thunderbirds host Menlo March 28-30.