Posted: Apr 30, 2017
CLEBURNE, Texas – Centenary College’s Chris Haggard drove in four runs as the top-seeded Gents came from behind to topple No. 4-seed Southwestern University 6-3 on Saturday night in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship semifinals. The win avenges Centenary’s opening-round defeat at the hands of the Pirates on Friday. Official Website l Bracket | Postgame Interview w/ Chris Haggard and Head Coach Mike Diaz
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Following three scoreless innings to open the game, Southwestern broke through with an RBI single by Riley Wayland in the top of the fourth. Ethan Hallmark came around to score on an error later in the inning to make it 2-0.
- Centenary countered back in the bottom half of the inning as Haggard singled through the left side to plate a pair and square things up.
- Daniel Montgomery gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead with an RBI single in the top of the sixth, but Centenary pushed two runs across in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Preston Ludwick and a base hit from Haggard to put the Gents on top 4-3.
- Centenary tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, with Ludwick and Haggard ripping back-to-back doubles to make it 6-3.
TRINITY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Cole Lavergne: 3.1 IP, win, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB
- Chris Haggard: 3-4, 4 RBI, double
- Preston Ludwick: 2-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, double, triple
- Ian Graham: 1-3, 2 R, double
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Ethan Hallmark: 1-2, 2 R
- Daniel Montgomery: 1-3, 1 RBI
- Riley Wayland: 1-3, 1 RBI
- Bryce Sinclair: 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 BB
NOTABLES
- Centenary heads to tomorrow’s championship looking for its second consecutive SCAC title, and second all-time. Texas Lutheran University will be seeking its first ever SCAC baseball crown.
- During the regular season, Texas Lutheran won two of three games against Centenary.
- Tomorrow’s championship game is the first in SCAC history that will not feature Trinity University, Southwestern, or former member Millsaps College.
UP NEXT
Centenary advances to tomorrow’s championship game against No. 3-seed Texas Lutheran, with first pitch scheduled for noon. If Centenary wins, a deciding game will immediately follow.