SEGUIN, Texas -- In the first elimination game of the 2016 SCAC Baseball Tournament, it was the fourth-seed Southwestern University who survived and advanced with a 15-7 victory over the third-seed and 24th-ranked Centenary College Saturday evening at Katt-Isbel Field on the campus of Texas Lutheran University. Official Website l Bracket l Postgame Interview w/ Colby Schmidt & Coach R.J. Thomas
The Pirates jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a three-run home run by Colby Schmidt and never trailed.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Centenary cut the Southwestern lead to a single run on two different occassions (4-3 after the top of the fifth and 6-5 after the top of the sixth) but a five-run sixth put the game away for the Pirates.
- In addition to Schmidt's three-run homer in the first, Tyler Bludau had a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the sixth.
- Southwestern had 16 hits to Centenary's 11 - the Gents left 13 runners on base while Southwestern stranded nine.
- Three Centenary errors led to three unearned runs.
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Colby Schmidt: 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 runs, 1 BB, 1 SB
- Tyler Bludau: 1-1, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 run
- Austyn Laird: 2-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 run, 1 BB
- Ethan Luna: 2-4, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 BB
- Michael Platz: 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 R, 5 K, 3 BB
CENTENARY COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Chris Zapata: 3-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 runs
- Colten Maples: 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 run
- Ian Graham: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB
NOTABLES
- Bludau's grand slam was the first in the SCAC tournament since Texas Lutheran's Keaton Bohrmann hit a bases-loaded shot against Centenary on 5/2/14.
- The 15 runs are the most scored by the Pirates in a SCAC tournament game since a 21-4 victory over Rose-Hulman at the 2002 championships.
- After going 0-2 in four straight tournament appearances (2007, 2008, 2013, 2014), the Pirates are 2-3 in their last five SCAC tournament games.
- Since joining the SCAC prior to the 2013 season, this is the first time Centenary has not won at least one game in the tournament. In fact, the Gents had made it to the championship round in two of their three previous appearances.
UP NEXT
The Pirates (17-24) will move on to face Texas Lutheran at Noon CT tomorrow morning in another elimination game. The winner will turn around and play Trinity in the championship round in a game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT. Centenary ends its season with a record of 26-13.
