Game Accounts

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for April 19, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes: Lee 16, Embry-Riddle 4, Oklahoma City 2

Lee (#1) avenged an earlier loss to Bryan by giving them a 19-7 defeat; RF Michael Brown went 4-5 with a double, a home run, and four RBI. The Flames then swept three games against Southern Wesleyan, 4-1, 6-1, and 6-2. Shay Crawford, Maxx Catapano, and Curtis Camilli got the wins; Crawford went 6 2/3 innings, allowed two hits, struck out 11. Camilli struck out 13 batters in the third game, and RF Chris Grayson hit a single and a home run, scored twice, and made a diving catch and nailed a baserunner trying to score from third. The Flames then lost a midweek showdown against #7 Cumberland 7-4. The Flames led 4-3 at one point, but the Bulldogs went ahead for good with three runs in the seventh on an RBI single by RF Cory Farris and a two-RBI double by 2B Tommy Crews. Crews went 3-5 with three RBI. Mike Mandarino got the win, helped his cause with two hits and an RBI.

The Flames have clinched the Southern States Athletic Conference East pennant with a 15-0 record; Auburn-Montgomery (#9) has clinched SSAC West with a 16-2 record. The Flames complete their regular season at Southern Polytechnic (#22) April 22-23.

Embry-Riddle (#2) started the week with a 7-6 win over Tampa, ranked #8 in Division II. 1B Chris Page hit two home runs, and SS Ben Kline hit a solo home run for the winning run. Philip Reamy set a school record for career saves. The Ealges then swept four games against Edward Waters, 16-3, 8-4, 9-3, and 10-9. Ryan Vigue went the distance in the third game, allowed six hits, struck out seven. The Eagles had to come from behind in the fourth game; 2B Tyler Robbins drew a walk in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded to tie it, then 3B Steven Sabins hit a sacrifice fly to win it.

Vigue is 11-2, 2.53 ERA, with 94 strikeouts. He leads the NAIA in wins. Tucker Jensen has ten wins, and is tied for second in NAIA wins with Corey Theriot of Oklahoma City. Sabins is batting .402, has 51 RBI.

The Eagles host Savannah College of Art and Design April 22-23, then finish their regular season at Division II Flagler April 26.

Oklahoma City ( #3) won two of three against Mid-America Christian, winning 16-3, losing 8-7, and winning 10-9 (10 innings). Cory Theriot ran his record to 10-0 in the first game, LF Mark Purser went 5-5. The Stars stranded 18 baserunners in the second game; DH Jose Flores batted in the winning run for Mid-America Christian. The third game was close all the way; Mid-America Christian stranded the winning run on third when the ninth inning ended with a double play. The winning run was scored by LF Julien Pollard on a throwing error. Rich Hawkins got the win in relief for the Stars. The Stars began the current week with an 18-1 win over #16 Northwood (TX).

The Stars continue to lead the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 22-2 record; Oklahoma Baptist is second with a 17-5 record. The Stars visit Oklahoma Christian April 21 and 23, and host Oklahoma Christian April 22.

Cal Baptist (#4) won three of four against Vanguard, winning 7-6, 7-0, 7-3, and losing 4-2. The Lancers scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth in the first game; 2B Cole Bullard hit an RBI double to tie it, and LF Matt Marnati hit an RBI single to win it. Jesse Arreola pitched the first 8 1/3 innings of the second game, allowed four hits, and had a no-hitter going into the seventh inning. The Lancers scored all their runs in the second inning of the third game. In the fourth game, LF Jacob Domingos scored on a bunt by C Mario Romero for the winning run. Robert Purpura went the distance for the Lions, scattered seven hits, struck out seven.

The Lancers now lead the Golden State Athletic Conference with a 23-9 record. Biola (#10) is one game back, with a 22-10 record. Fresno Pacific (#14) is three games back, with an 20-12 record. The Lancers visit Patten for a non-conference game on Wednesday. They complete their GSAC schedule with Point Loma Nazarene the following week.

LSU-Shreveport (#5) won two of three at Texas-Brownsville; they lost the first game 5-0, and won the next two games 7-1 and 8-1. Danny Gidora pitched the shutout for the Scorpions in the first game, held the Pilots to three hits. It was Gidora's fith shutout and eighth complete game of the season. He is 9-2, 1.23 ERA, with 69 strikeouts. Cody Bouette went the distance for the Pilots in the second game, held the Scorpions to five hits, strick out seven. Logan Norris got his first collegiate win in the third game, allowed five hits over seven innings.

The Pilots have clinched the Red River Athletic Conference pennant. They finish their regular season at Texas Wesleyan April 22-23.

Oklahoma Baptist (#6) won two of three against Oklahoma Christian, winning 4-0, losing 3-2, and winning 16-13. The Bison visit Lubbock Christian (#11) April 21-22.

Cumberland (#7) swept three games from Martin Methodist, 8-1, 10-1, and 4-0. In the first game, Aaron Wilkerson pitched his fifth complete game of the season, and got his 23^rd straight win. He allowed four hits, struck out nine. 1B Mike Mandarino went 3-5 with a three-run home run. Will Locante went the seven-inning distance in the second game, allowed five hits, struck out ten. Mandarino hit his 12^th home run of the season. Keith Kirby went the seven-inning distance in the third game, shut out the on four hits. RF Cory Farris hit his 11^th home run of the season. The Bulldogs then started the current week with a 7-4 win over #1 Lee (see above); this was their tenth straight win.

Wilkerson has the lowest ERA in the NAIA, 0.67. Cumberland, Trevecca Nazarene (ISR #20), and Union U. (TN) (#16) are tied for the lead in the TranSouth Conference with 14-4 records. The Bulldogs visit Lyon April 22-23.

Union C. (KY) (#8) swept three games against Reinhardt, 4-1, 11-8, and 8-7. Brandon Kendrick got the win in the first game, allowed three hits in 6 1/3 innings, struck out nine. The Bulldogs had to come from behind in both the second and third games. In the second game, C Cory Throckmorton went 2-4 with a two-run home run. In the third game, 1B Tyler Brake hit a two-run walk-off home run.

The Bulldogs have won 11 straight, and have clinched their fifth straight Appalachian Athletic Conference pennant. They complete their regular season against Milligan April 22-23.

Auburn-Montgomery (#9) defeated Thomas 11-3, and swept three games at U. Of Mobile 11-5, 3-1, and 7-3. LF Rusty Todd went 4-5 in the first game. Wes Cook scattered five hits in the second game, and Cody Hall recorded 11 strikeouts in the third game. The Senators visit Division II Columbus State on Wednesday, and finish their regular season hosting #13 Brewton-Parker April 22-23.

Biola (#10) split four games with #14 Fresno Pacific, losing the first two games at Fresno 17-9 and 3-2 (14 innings), then winning two at home, 7-6 (10 innings) and 13-4. 1B/C Brian Loard hit a home for the Eagles in the ninth to send the second game into extra innings, but courtesy runner Matt Cronin scored on a wild pitch in the 14^th inning to win it. DH Mac Sullivan batted in the winning run in the third game. The Eagles started the current week with a 7-5 win over Point Loma Nazarene; DH Brent Opdyke hit a walk-off two-run home run to win it. They will host three non-conference games against Patten April 22-23. They finish their GSAC schedule against The Master's the following week.

British Columbia (#14) won two of five at Lewis-Clark State (#18). The Warriors won the first two games 7-6 and 2-1. In the first game, 1B Alfonso Casillas went 4-5 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored for the Warriors. The Thunderbirds made a late comeback, and left the bases loaded in the ninth. In the second game, David Otterman of the Thunderbirds took a five-hit shutout into the ninth inning, but the same Alfonso Casillas hit a two-RBI double to win it for the Warriors. The Thunderbirds won the third game 8-1; CF Blake Carruthers hit two home runs, one of them a grand slam. Brandon Kaye went eight innings, allowed seven hits, did not walk a batter; he had a shutout going into the eighth inning. The Warriors won the fourth game 6-1; Casey Edelbrock and Zach Arneson combined to hold the Thunderbirds to four hits. Arneson struck out five of the ten batters he faced. The Thunderbirds won the fifth game 7-1; 1B Austin Fruson, who had only 23 turns at bat prior to this game, went 3-3 with a home run, a double, and four RBI.

The Thunderbirds complete their regular season hosting College of Idaho April 23-24, and will clinch the North Division of NAIA West by winning one of the four games. The Warriors host Corban April 21-23. Menlo (ISR #25) has won 13 straight, and has clinched the South Division of NAIA West.

Fresno Pacific is #1 in SoS. Concordia-Portland is #2, and Biola is #3. Concordia-Portland is ranked #109 in the ISR.