Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' Poll for April 1, 2014, with Boyd Nation's ISR ranking.

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

#1 Faulkner won two of three against #25 Mobile, 3-6, 12-0, and 11-3. Both starters, Jeff Price for the Rams and Thomas Dorminy for the Eagles, went the seven-inning distance in the first game. Price allowed two earned runs on eight hits. Price was helped by double plays in the fifth and sixth innings, and the defending champions left the bases loaded in the seventh. The winning run was the result of two walks and two wild pitches. The win was the 800th at Mobile for Head Coach Mike Jacobs. Story Jeremy Holcombe and Vinny Lujan combined for a mercy-rule-shortened shutout in the second game. The Blazers got eight runs from walks, hit batters, and errors. SS Dauris Holguin went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI in the third game. Kurt Lipscomb pitched six shutout innings, allowed four hits.

The Eagles visit #16 Brewton-Parker April 4-5.

#2 Oklahoma Baptist won two of three over Wayland Baptist, 9-0, 2-1, and 5-6. Julian Merryweather pitched the complete-game shutout in the first game, allowed three hits, struck out nine. CF Joey Szczepanski went 2-for-2 with two RBI, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. The Bison won the second game on and RBI single by C Mason Ankeney in the bottom of the seventh of a seven-inning game. Jordan Morales went the distance, allowed six hits; Morales is 7-0 for the season. 2B Braden Blackwell scored the winning run in the top of the ninth in the third game for the Pioneers on a throwing error. The Bison left the tying run on third in the bottom of the ninth. Cachot Duncan got the win in relief for the Pioneers. He pitched the final four innings, alowed one run (unearned) on one hit.

The Bison then defeated #12 Tabor 6-5 on a home run by 2B Ridge Hoopii-Haslam in the bottom of the ninth. The Bluejays led 5-2 after three innings, but Jinny Parra took over on the mound for the Bison, and allowed only two hits the rest of the way; he struck out eight.

The Pioneers continue to lead the Sooner Athletic Conference. #10 Oklahoma City is one game behind, and the Bison are 1 ½ games behind. The Bison visit Texas Wesleyan April 4-5.

#3 Lewis-Clark State got a 7-6 win at Division II Sonoma State, and swept four games at Oregon Tech, 10-7, 16-5, 8-5, and 10-0. RF Cody Lavalli hit a three-run home run in the first game, finished 2-for-3 with four RBI. The Warriors didn't get the winning run until the ninth inning, on a two-RBI double by SS Cody Weiss. The Warriors got eight runs in the top of the ninth in the second game, and the Hustlin' Owls scored four of their five runs in the bottom of the ninth, all unearned. Nick Lemoncelli got the win; he pitched six innings, allowed one run on three hits, struck out six. The winning run in the third game game on a two-RBI single by DH Jake Shirley. Ty Jackson got the win in relief, pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings. J.T. Kaul and Beau Kerns combined for the mercy-rule-shortened shutout in the fourth game. Jackson, playing first base in this one, went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

#23 British Columbia dropped a game against Menlo, so the Warriors and Thunderbirds are tied for the NAIA West lead. The Warriors host Concordia-Portland (ISR #16) April 4-6. Live video

#4 Missouri Baptist swept Mid-Continent, 14-1, 4-3, and 19-2. The first game was suspended on Friday after five innings due to weather, and completed on Monday. 1B Dan Harper went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, four RBI, and three runs scored. Dave Mullins got the win for the five innings he pitched before the suspension, allowed one run on four hits. 3B Brent Zimmerman hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh for the winning run in the second game. Brandon Zywicki went the seven-inning distance, allowed five hits, struck out seven. His record is now 8-0. SS Josh Fuentes went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI in the third game. Michael Yarborough got the win, allowed five hits, struck out nine. Yarborough is 7-0.

The Spartans host Benedictine April 4-5.

#5 Georgia Gwinnett swept three games against Emmanuel, 13-2, 8-2, and 11-5. 1B Sloan Strickland went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in the first game. Alex Roberts got the win, scattered nine hits over seven innings. DH Robbie Payne went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the second game. CF Christian Van Camp went 3-for-5 with four RBI in the third game.

The Grizzlies host LSU-Alexandria (ISR #19) April 4-5. Live video

#6 Concordia-Irvine won two of three at #14 The Master's, 2-3 (11 innings), 8-3, and 6-0. The Mustangs tied the first game 2-2 in the eighth inning on a RBI ground out by 1B/P Steven Karkenny. They won it on an RBI single by 2B Sam Robison. Karkenny moved from first base to the mound in the ninth inning, allowed no runs on two hits, got the win. Pinch-hitter Trever Benjamin hit a two-RBI single in the seventh inning for the winning run in the second game. Alex Tukey got the win in relief. Keegan Yuhl pitched a seven-inning shutout in the third game, struck out ten. The Mustangs out-hit the Eagles 5-4, but the Eagles got five runs in the second inning on four walks and a passed ball. C Nolan Clark homered later in the game.

The series win put the Eagles in a tie for first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference with #xx San Diego Christian. The Mustangs are 1/2 game behind, and #24 Vanguard is one game behind. The Eagles visit Westmont (ISR #8) April 4-5. Good quality live video

#8 San Diego Christian won two of three in a non-conference matchup at Cal State San Marcos (ISR #17), 6-1, 6-2, and 0-3. LF Chad Erickson hit an RBI single for the winning run in the first game. Mark Vasquez went the distance for the Hawks, scattered seven hits, struck out five. Gabriel Hemmer went the distance for the Hawks in the second game, allowed no earned runs on eight hits, struck out eight. CF Cade Gotta went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double, and two stolen bases. Kyle Montiel pitched a seven-inning shutout for the Cougars in the third game, allowed four hits, struck out five. The winning run came on a sacrifice fly by 3B Kory Smith.

The Hawks visit Arizona Christian April 4-5.