JACKSON, Miss. - SCAC West Division rivals
Hendrix College and Trinity University advanced to the 2009 SCAC
Championship game on day three of the conference tournament.
Hendrix, which went through the winnner's bracket, will look for
its first-ever men's SCAC championship in any sport and can do so
with just one win on Sunday.
Trinity advanced to the championship game for the 14th time in the
18-year history of the SCAC Tournament and will look for its fifth
outright championship (were co-champions with Millsaps in
2006).
In the day's first game, third seeded Hendrix College advanced to
its first ever SCAC baseball championship game with a 9-7 win over
rival and second seeded Trinity University. The Warriors used a six
run sixth inning to turn a 2-2 game into an 8-2 lead and survived a
furious Trinity rally in the final three innings. Jeff Forgerson's
ninth inning home run added an insurance run for the Warriors as
Trinity added two runs in the bottom of the ninth to fall just
short. Eight of the nine runs Hendrix scored were unearned runs.
Trinity again continued its torrid offense collecting 17 more hits
to up their total to 57 hits through three games. Leading the way
for the Tigers was first baseman Evan Jones who went 5-for-5 with
three RBI and two doubles. Jones is hitting an astounding 11-for-14
(.786). The 11 hits are one shy of tying an SCAC Tournament record
and Jones is on pace to establish a new conference tournament mark
for batting average.
Hendrix
vs. Trinity Box Score
In the second game of the day, the Centre College Colonels staved
off elimination in the second game of day three of the 2009 SCAC
Baseball Championship with a 11-9 win over division rival DePauw
University. DePauw senior Justin Weirner, who already broke the
school career stolen bases record along with the SCAC career stolen
bases record, added yet one more record to his list of
accomplishments. He set a new conference mark with six stolen bases
in the SCAC Tournament. After DePauw scored four runs in the top of
the first the Colonels responded by scoring five in the bottom of
the first and scored 10 unanswered runs and held on for the win
over the Tigers. Centre's Brandon Rosen led the way for the
Colonels batting 4-for-5 with three RBI and a home run. Aaron
Herbert picked up the win for Centre tossing six innings and
striking out two.
DePauw
vs. Centre Box Score
In the day's final game, Trinity University used two seven run
innings in beating Centre 16-0 in eight innings to earn a berth in
the SCAC Championship game against undefeated Hendrix College. The
win advanced the Tigers to its 14th SCAC Championship game in the
18-year history of the conference tournament. Trinity first baseman
Evan Jones led the Tigers as he finished 1-for-3 with two RBI,
walked twice and scored two runs. With his hit, Jones tied an SCAC
tournament record with 12 hits. That feat was matched by four
players and was last achieved by Millsaps' Hunter Owen in last
year's tournament. Trinity second baseman Jeff Claydon was 2-for-3
and drove in four in the win.
Trinity
vs. Centre Box Score
SCAC Championship action resumes April 26 at Noon CT with Hendrix
and Trinity squaring off in the SCAC Championship game. Should
Trinity defeat Hendrix in the first game, the deciding game will be
played at 3:30 CT on Sunday, April 26. The SCAC champion earns the
conference's automatic qualifyer into the NCAA Division III
Baseball Championship field of 54 teams.
Live stats, video and more can be accessed at the official site of
the SCAC Championships by clicking here.