CLEBURNE, Texas - Second-seeded Texas Lutheran University jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the opening two innings and held off a rally by third-seeded Southwestern University, topping the Pirates 7-5 in the second game of the 2021 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday night. Official Website l Tournament Stats l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview w/ TLU Head Coach Rick Heines | Postgame Interview w/ Senior Austin Colon
HOW IT HAPPENED
- TLU scored in the home half of the first inning when Caleb Maly crossed the plate after a passed ball to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
- The Bulldogs most productive inning came in the second when they scored four runs on just two hits. Cullen Motsinger and Tyler Post were each credited with an RBI via a walk and hit by pitch, while Austin Colon’s double drove in the other two runs of the inning.
- Preston Witt opened the scoring for Southwestern in the top half of the third inning on an RBI single to make it 5-1.
- Southwestern cut the lead to just one in the visiting half of the fourth inning with three more runs as Jacob Tanner, Ted Lobkowic and Jake Harris were all credited with an RBI.
- In the home half of the fourth inning the Bulldogs responded with a pair runs to extend their lead back to three as Joe Jimenez picked up his first RBI of the tournament on a triple and Post collected his second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to center.
- Southwestern scored its final run in the sixth when Harris hit a double and racked up his second RBI of the night to pull the Pirates within two.
- TLU pitching scattered just two hits over the final three innings to close out the game and secure the two-run victory.
- Brendan Beard was credited with the win out the bullpen for TLU, going four full innings with five strikeouts and allowing just four hits. Blade Strzelczyk came in to close out the game in the ninth for the Bulldogs getting the save after allowing no hits and striking out one in the ninth.
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Austin Colon: 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 run, 1 BB, 1 2B
- Simon Scales: 2-4, 1 run
- Collin Docker: 1-3, 1 run, 1 BB
- Joe Jimenez: 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 3B
- Caleb Maly: 2 runs, 2 BB
- Brendan Beard (WP): 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 5 K
- Blade Strzelczyk (S): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Maxwell Mims: 2-4, 1 run
- Jake Harris: 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 2B
- Lance Kruse: 2-4, 1 run
- Landon Durdin: 2-4, 1 run
- Jacob Tanner: 3-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- J.J. Slack: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 6 K
NOTABLES
- Texas Lutheran is now a perfect 3-0 versus Southwestern in opening round contests. The Bulldogs also defeated the Pirates in the tournament opener for both teams in 2019 and 2016.
- Texas Lutheran drew 11 walks on the evening, scoring seven runs on just six hits. The Bulldogs are now 6-1 on the season when drawing 10 or more walks in a game. The only loss was back on March 6th to Southwestern, 11-8.
- TLU has now won three-straight SCAC Tournament opening round games and improves to 5-2 overall in those contests.
- Texas Lutheran and Southwestern have now faced each other seven times in the SCAC Tournament with the Bulldogs holding a 5-2 record.
UP NEXT
Texas Lutheran advances to take on No. 1-seed Trinity University tomorrow with first pitch set for noon CT, while Southwestern will face No. 4-seed Centenary College in an elimination game immediately following.
