Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for April 12, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes: Lee 14, Embry-Riddle 2, Oklahoma City 7

Lee (#1) got a mid-week win against Tennessee Wesleyan, 9-8. The Flames trailed 8-4 in the sixth inning, but caught up with a solo home run by 1B Roberto Reyes and a series of RBI singles. The winning run was walked in. The Bulldogs were shut down over the final three innings with hitless relief efforts by Joe Fabre and Kris Hall; Fabre got the win. The Flames then swept three games against Brewton-Parker (#8), 8-0, 14-0, and 7-5. Shay Crawford, Fabre, and Jay Bolen combined to hold the Barons to four hits in the first game, and Reyes hit another home run. Maxx Catapano pitched a four-hit shutout in the second game, which was ended by the mercy rule after five innings. Reyes, DH Chris Grayson, and C Justin Marrero hit home runs. The Flames out-hit the Barons 15-5 in the third game, but two home runs by 1B Jacob Evors of the Barons kept it close.

The Flames now lead the Southern States Athletic Conference East with a 12-0 record; Auburn-Montgomery (#15) leads the SSAC West with a 13-2 record. The Flames host Southern Wesleyan April 15-16, and #10 Cumberland April 19. The Barons visit South Carolina-Beaufort Wednesday, and Shorter April 15-16.

Embry-Riddle (#2) started the week with a 9-0 win over Division II Flagler; Daniel Eaton, Steve Ortman, and Brett Allen combined for the shutout. The next night, the Eagles lost an exhibition game to the Class A Daytona Cubs, 6-1. Ian MacGeorge batted in the Eagles' run. Story from Embry-Riddle site: Eagles Fall in Exhibiton to Daytona Cubs, 6-1. The Eagles then swept three games against Thomas, 11-0, 6-4, and 5-1. Tucker Jensen pitched a one-hit shutout in the first game, and struck out seven; the game was stopped after six innings by the mercy rule. 3B Steve Sabins batted in the winning run in the second game, had two hits. Ryan Vigue got the win in the third game; he went eight innings, allowed six hits, struck out nine.

Vigue is 10-2, 2.43 ERA, with 86 strikeouts. He leads the NAIA in wins. Jensen has nine wins, and is tied for second in NAIA wins with Corey Theriot of Oklahoma City and R.L. Eisenbach of Faulkner.

The Eagles have clinched The Sun Conference pennant. They host Edward Waters April 16-17.

Oklahoma City ( #3) started the week with wins at home against Southern Nazarene (13-3) and Oklahoma Wesleyan (7-6 (ten innings)). They hit a major bump in the road at Lindenwood, losing two games 4-3 (eight innings) and 10-9, before salvaging the third game of the series 15-2. The Lions won the first game with a pinch-hit home run by Matt Tellor, and Zac Pearman and Cory Trudell combined to hold the Stars to four hits. In the second game, the Lions got seven runs in the second innings, then managed to hang on when the same Cory Trudell came on with the bases loaded in the sixth inning of a seven-inning game, and got a fly out and a line out to escape the inning. In the third game, Terrance Jackson got his first start of the year, and pitched four scoreless innings. RF Matt Presley did the major offensive damage: 2-2 with a home run and four RBI.

The Stars continue to lead the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 19-1 record; Oklahoma Baptist is second with a 14-4 record. The Stars visit Mid-America Christian April 14 and 16, and host Mid-America Christian April 15.

Cal Baptist (#4) won three of four against Biola (#9). The Lancers won the first game 10-6. Taylor Siemens went eight innings for the win, scattered eight hits; SS Brian Sharpe went 3-5 with a home run and three RBI. The Eagles won the second game 6-2; Kevin Ryan allowed two runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings for the win. SS Johnny Farrington went 2-4 with two RBI, including the winning run. The Lancers won the third game 3-2, on a sacrifice fly by 1B Josh Manzano in the eighth inning. The Lancers won the fourth game 2-1; Devyn Rivera went the seven-inning distance, held the Eagles to three hits, struck out six. The winning run came on a home run by RF Zach Esquerra in the fourth inning; it was Esquerra's 15^th home run of the season, which ties him with Johnny Aldaz of Northwood (TX) for second place in the NAIA. (Richard Bohlken of Lubbock Christian leads the NAIA with 17 home runs.)

The Lancers now lead the Golden State Athletic Conference with a 20-8 record. The Eagles are ½ game back, with a 19-8 record. Fresno Pacific (#13) is two games back, with an 18-10 record. The Lancers host Vanguard Wednesday and Thursday, and visit Vanguard April 16. They visit Division II San Francisco State April 19. The Eagles visit Fresno Pacific Wednesday and Thursday, and host Fresno Pacific April 16.

LSU-Shreveport (#5) swept three games from Jarvis Christian, 12-0, 10-0, and 27-7. Move along, folks, nothing to see here. The Pilots visit Texas-Brownsville April 15-16. They lead the Red River Athletic Conference with a 23-1 record; Northwood (TX) (#12) is second with a 20-4 rercord.

Oklahoma Baptist (#6) started the week with a 17-7 win over Southwestern Oklahoma, ranked #25 in Division II at the time, and this was Coach Bobby Cox's 1,000 win. The Bison then won two of three against Rogers State (#15), winning 14-4 and 3-1, and losing 4-1. In the first game, Richie Mirowski struck out ten, and RF Anthony Lopez, 3B Alan Trayler, SS Jonathan Gelpi, pinch-hitter Michael Sliger, and 1B Bam Davis hit home runs. Chad Hardison got the win in the second game, and Jim Miner got a complete seven-inning game win for the Hillcats in the third game, holding the Bison to four hits.

The Bison host Oklahoma Christian April 14 and 16, and visit Oklahoma Christian April 15.

British Columbia (#7) won three of four against Concordia-Portland. The Thunderbirds won the first game 3-1; Eric Brown got the win; he went six innings, allowed five hits, struck out six. Brown is now 7-0, 1.52 ERA, and 43 strikeouts. The Cavaliers won the second game 6-2; Mitch Ludtke and Brett Ferguson combined to hold the Thunderbirds to five hits; pinch-hitter Tommy Whalen batted in the winning run. The Thunderbirds won the remaining two games 5-2 and 3-0. David Otterman got the win in the third game, and Miles Verweel and Shawn Hetherington combined for the shutout in the fourth game.

The Thunderbirds travel to Lewis-Clark State (#18), another team that is having trouble scoring runs, for five games April 15-17.

Cumberland (#10) got a 13-4 win at Campbellville, then swept Bethel (TN) 5-2, 1-0, and 18-15. 1B Mike Mandarino went 3-4 with a home run and three RBI in the win over Campbellsville. Aaron Wilkerson got the win in the first game against Bethel, and he has now won 22 straight. Wilkerson's numbers are 8-0, 0.62 ERA, 45 strikeouts. Will Locante pitched the three-hit shutout in the second game, struck out 13; he has 67 strikeouts for the season. Mandarino hit a home run for the only run of the game. The third game took four hours to play; the Bulldogs scored 15 runs in the first three innings (C David Fanshawe hit a grand slam in the first inning), but still needed a two-RBI double by SS Tommy Winegardner in the sixth inning to win it.

The Bulldogs host Martin Methodist April 15-16, and visit #1 Lee April 19. Trevecca Nazarene (ISR #18) leads the TranSouth Conference with a 12-3 record. Martin Methodist is second with a 14-4 record, Cumberland and Union U. (TN) (#17) are tied for third with 11-4 records.

Concordia-Portland is #1 in SoS, and ranked #94 in the ISR. Concordia-Irvine is #2, and Fresno Pacific is #3.

Old news: RHP Desmond Sullivan of Rio Grande pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Pikeville on April 2. He struck out eight, and walked two. Story from Rio Grande site: RedStorm take two from Pikeville