MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Trinity University and Hendrix College will play for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball championship for the second time in three years. Both the Tigers and Warriors earned a chance to win the SCAC's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, with their play on day three of the tournament. Official Site
Rhodes vs. Trinity Recap
The Trinity Tiger baseball team moved on to the title game at the
2011 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships
Tournament, defeating Rhodes 4-2 at USA Baseball Stadium on
Saturday afternoon.
Box Score
Trinity improved to 32-11 with the win, and will play in the championship game for the fourth consecutive year. The Tigers won the conference crown in 2008, as well as last year at USA Stadium.
The Tigers jumped ahead with three runs in the second inning, but managed just one run the rest of the way. That final run came in the fourth, and put Trinity ahead 4-0 at the time.
Despite lacing seven hits in the first five innings, Rhodes was held scoreless until the sixth inning by Tiger starter Michael Bentz. In the sixth, Rhodes cut Trinity's lead in half with two runs, climbing back into contention.
Ryan Lucero came on in the sixth, finishing off the game with 3.2 innings of work, giving up just one hit, and striking out four batters to earn his first save of the year. Bentz was credited with the win, improving to 4-2 on the year.
Trinity's offense was held to just three hits in the game by Rhodes starter Jackson Baker, who allowed four earned runs, and struck out nine in the loss.
Kevin Clements was 1-3 with two RBI, while Kevin Calbick was 1-2 with a run scored. Nick Pappas got Trinity's third hit, and also scored a run. Dylan Early also earned an RBI for the Tigers.
Later today in the tournament, Hendrix and DePauw will play an elimination game, and the winner goes on to face Rhodes tonight. The winner of that final game will go on to face the Trinity Tigers in the championship on Sunday.
DePauw vs. Hendrix Recap
The first six batters in Hendrix College’s lineup recorded
multiple-hit performances as the Warriors exploded for 14 hits in
an 8-1 victory, eliminating DePauw University from the SCAC
Tournament on Saturday afternoon at USA Stadium.
Box Score
Hendrix first year left-hander Nick Richardson improved to 3-2 on the year after a quality outing on the hill. Richardson worked his way in and out of jams in the first and second innings, stranding six runners on base. He settled down after the second and allowed just two hits over the next four frames. Richardson struck out seven batters and allowed just five hits on the day.
Hendrix then stole the lead with a three-run spurt in the fifth inning. Junior Clark Sims got things started with a base knock up the middle. First year Collin Radack then singled through the left side and junior Kyle Raskin laid down a bunt single to load the bases.
First year Jacob Perschke reached on a fielder’s choice to score Sims, Raskin was forced out at second base on the play. Perschke then stole second and the throw down got away from the shortstop to allow Radack to score. Junior Andrew Thames then hammered a line drive to the right center field gap to score Perschke from second and give Hendrix the 3-1 advantage.
Hendrix added another run in its next at bat when Perschke walked with the bases loaded and two outs to push first year Nick Richardson across the plate.
The Warriors protected their 4-1 lead by getting back into the dugout in a hurry. First year right-hander Justin Mosbey took the hill in the seventh and retired six consecutive batters to earn his second save of the year. He struck out his first batter and forced two fly outs in the seventh, then reeled in a fly out and two grounders in the eighth. Mosbey’s fly out in the eighth came off an outstanding grab off the left field wall by junior Nathan Harr.
Hendrix padded its lead and sealed the deal with a two-out rally for four runs in the eighth. Raskin ignited the rally when he reached on an error at shortstop. Perschke and Thames followed with singles to right and left center, scoring Raskin. Senior Jeff Forgerson fooled the right side of the infield by laying down a bunt to juice the bases. Harr then beat out a single up the middle to score Perschke and Thames. Forgerson advanced to third on the play and then scored on a wild pitch.
Hendrix now owns a 17-20 overall record while DePauw falls to 16-20 on the season. The Warriors improve to 2-0 against the Tigers in SCAC Tournament play as Hendrix took a 10-7 win over DePauw in the opening game of the 2009 SCAC Tournament. Hendrix also improves to 7-3 all-time in SCAC postseason play.
The Warriors now take on #1E-Rhodes College in another do-or-die affair at 8 p.m. CT tonight. Hendrix fell to Rhodes, 5-4, in the tourney opener on Thursday. Rhodes survived a 21-inning (NCAA-Division III record) game against Oglethorpe and then lost a 4-2 contest to Trinity in today’s opener to reach the game against Hendrix.
Both teams will play for a chance to face Trinity in Sunday’s 2011 SCAC Championship game. The winner tonight will need to take down Trinity twice on Sunday to earn the SCAC crown.
Hendrix vs. Rhodes Recap
Hendrix College junior right-hander Teddy Smoyer allowed just four hits, one walk and nine strikeouts in a 9.0 inning complete-game victory over Rhodes College, 7-2, for the Warriors’ second win Saturday at USA Stadium.
Box Score
Hendrix advances to its second SCAC Championship Sunday in program history as the Warriors will take on #1 West Trinity University at 12 p.m. CT. The Warriors will need to take down the Tigers twice tomorrow to earn their second SCAC Title in three years.
Smoyer made his first start in 29 days as he rested due to shoulder soreness over the last month. His last start included a 9.0 inning shutout win over Trinity on March 26, earning him SCAC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors in Week 8 of the season.
Hendrix carried its momentum from today’s first game and went up early with one run in the first inning. First year Collin Radack was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and raced 180 ft. on first year Jacob Perschke’s line drive to left center field.
The Warriors made it a 3-0 lead in the third when junior Clark Sims led off with a walk and made it all the way to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Radack then reached on an error at third, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch, scoring Sims. Perschke then sent Radack home on a grounder up the middle.
Senior Jeff Forgerson gave Hendrix a 4-0 lead in the fourth by hammering a leadoff double down the left field line. First year Nick Richardson followed with a two-bagger down the left field line of his own to score Forgerson.
Rhodes finally reached the scoreboard in the sixth when senior Andy Meier and junior Matt Gilbert reached on free passes with two outs. Both runners advanced on a balk and then sophomore Lynden Pindling sent Meier and Gilbert across on a base knock to center field.
Hendrix answered and killed any chance of a momentum change when Sims tagged a one-out single up the middle, sprinted all the way to third on a wild pitch and then raced home when the catcher air-mailed the throw down to third on the same play.
Forgerson placed an exclamation mark at the end of Hendrix’s sentence with a two-run bomb over the right field wall in the eighth inning. Perschke led off with a free pass and Forgerson sent the first pitch he saw soaring into the night sky to make it a 7-2 affair.
Forgerson finished 3-for-4, including a double and a homer, with two runs scored and two RBI. Sims was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Perschke was 1-for-3 with one run scored and two RBI. Richardson went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Radack was 0-for-4 with two runs scored.
Rhodes’ first year right-hander Jacob Long started and lasted 3.0 innings to suffer the loss in his first decision of the season.
Hendrix improves to 18-20 on the year and Rhodes falls to 23-19 overall. The Warriors redeemed their two 5-4 losses against the Lynx, including the opening loss of the SCAC Tourney on Thursday. The Warriors now own an 8-3 record in SCAC postseason play.
.jpg?max_width=280&max_height=139&crop=true)
.jpg?max_width=280&max_height=139&crop=true)
