CLEBURNE, Texas - Southwestern University saw top-seeded Centenary College force extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Pirates pulled off the upset with a run in the 10th to top the Gents 3-2 in the opening game of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championship on Friday night. Official Website l Bracket l Postgame Interview w/ Head Coach J.C. Bunch and Colton Hunter
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After three scoreless innings to open the game, Southwestern got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth with a 2-out, 2-RBI single by Hayden Craig.
- The Gents cut the margin in half in the bottom of the sixth, with Chris Zapata singling home Peyton Cormane.
- Centenary took advantage of a Southwestern throwing error in the bottom of the ninth to plate the game-tying run, with Charlie Allbritton coming around to score. A double play ended the inning and sent the game to extras.
- Colby Schmidt delivered a two-out single to score Byron Dowdell to put the Pirates ahead in the 10th for good at 3-2, and Austin Smith shut the door in the bottom of the inning to earn the victory on the mound.
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Austin Smith: 4.0 IP, win, 0 ER, 4 K, 2 BB
- Hayden Craig: 1-4, 2 RBI
- Riley Wayland: 2-4, 1 R
- Colby Schmidt: 1-5, 1 RBI
CENTENARY COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Kaleb Kirk: 8.1 IP, 2 ER, 10 K, 2 BB
- Chris Zapata: 2-5, 1 RBI
- Peyton Cormane: 2-5, 1 R
- Andrew Russell: 2-4
NOTABLES
- Friday night's first round SCAC tournament win was the Pirates first first-round tournament win since 2005.
- Despite a stellar effort, Centenary's Kaleb Kirk was denied his SCAC record-tying 32nd career win.
- The loss by Centenary was the first time a top seed has lost a first-round SCAC tournament game since the 2009 tournament when the East division top seed (DePauw) and the West division top seed (Millsaps) both lost.
UP NEXT
Southwestern will move on to face the winner of No. 2-seed Trinity University and No. 3-seed Texas Lutheran University at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, while Centenary takes on the loser of that matchup in the following game.