CLEBURNE, Texas -- Centenary College scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth and held on for a 5-4 victory over Southwestern University in an elimination game at the 2023 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Baseball Championship Saturday evening at the The Depot at Cleburne Station. Official Website l Tournament Stats l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview 

After Gary Hewitt's one-out single and advancement to second on a wild pitch, Jobee Boone moved Hewitt to third with a groundout to Southwestern' first baseman Trent Raschke. Now faced with two outs and the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Lenny Forth hit a high chopper down the third baseline whose rushed throw pulled Pirates' first baseman Jacob Tanner off the bag and allowed Hewitt to score what would eventually be the winning run. 

Centenary's Parker Primeaux went the distance on the bump, coming through with a gutsy, nine-inning, 132-pitch effort where the senior scattered 11 hits and allowed four runs (three earned) while striking out eight and walking two.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Centenary opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the second as Austyn Benoit ripped a blast to left center that ricocheted off the wall and allowed the junior to race around with an inside-the-park home run. Collin Pitts followed with a home run of the more natural variety as his bomb cleared the left field wall with plenty to spare and gave the Gents a 2-0 lead. 
• Southwestern responded with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning as a leadoff walk to Preston Witt materalized into a run after a single by Raschke, and a subsequent ground out that ended with a Centenary throwing error.
• Centenary plated an unearned run of its own in the top of the third but Southwestern responded with three runs in its half of the inning, using four hits, including doubles by both Maxwell Mims and Landon Durdin, to plate three and take its first lead of the game at 4-3.
• The Gents would tie the game in the top of the fourth as a walk and a stolen base by Noah Koehmsted resulted in the senior crossing the plate on an RBI groundout by Jake Gonce.
• From there the game remained scoreless until the ninth where Forth and Hewitt combined to push across the eventual game-winner.

CENTENARY COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Gary Hewitt: 1-4, 2 runs
• Jobee Boone: 2-4, 1 SB
• Austyn Benoit: 1-4, 1 run, 1 HR, 1 RBI
• Collin Pitts: 1-4, 1 run, 1 HR, 1 RBI
• Parker Primeaux (W): 9.0 IP, 11 hits, 4 R, 3 ER, 8 K, 2 BB

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Maxwell Mims: 3-5, 1 run, 1 2B
• James Vaquero: 2-5, 1 run
• Trent Raschke: 2-4, 1 RBI
• Landon Dundin: 1-4, 1 run, 1 2B, 1 RBI

NOTABLES

• Centenary's Primeaux picked up his eighth win of the season against no losses. His nine-inning complete game was the first nine inning complete game at the SCAC Tournament since Centenary's Matthew Devillier tossed a nine-inning shutout of Trinity at the 2018 tournament.
• Saturday night's contest was the ninth in SCAC tournament history between Centenary and Southwestern and the win gives the Gents a 5-4 edge.
• Southwestern ends its season with a 25-14 record, its most wins for the program since the 2005 season.

UP NEXT

Centenary will take on Texas Lutheran in Saturday's 7 p.m. CT nightcap with the winner advancing to take on Trinity in Sunday's SCAC Championship Game at Noon CT.