NAIA sectional tournament results for May 14

Marcus Limon

Results from the third day of the first-ever NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, for May 14:

At Lubbock, TX:

#1 Lubbock Christian was upset by #18 Wayland Baptist 6-2. Marcus Limon pitched a complete game for the Pioneers, scattered nine hits, struck out 14. The Chaparrals’ starter, Jakob Cunningham, also went the distance, allowed eight hits, struck out nine.

At Oklahoma City, OK:

#2 Oklahoma City defeated Texas Wesleyan 6-5 to qualify for their second straight Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID. The Stars trailed 5-2 after five innings, but won it with four runs in the sixth, led by a three-run home run by Jason Machado. Michael Bryant got the win in relief.

At Azusa, CA:

#3 Point Loma Nazarene defeated Azusa Pacific 12-1, to make their first trip to Lewiston since 2004. The Sea Lions’ starter, Brandon Dixon, went eight innings, allowed four hits, struck out six. Kurt Steinhauer was 3-5 with a home run for the Sea Lions.

At Cleveland, TN:

#10 Lee qualified for Lewiston, taking out Belhaven 22-4. Brian Bistagne went 5-5 for the Flames, Elvis Sosa went 5-7. This will be the third straight trip to Lewiston for Head Coach Mark Brew; the Flames were last year’s runners-up.

At Mount Berry, GA:

#4 Berry became the first team (other than host Lewis-Clark State) to qualify for this year’s Baseball National Championship. They had to come back from a 6-4 deficit against #24 Saint Xavier to do it. The Vikings tied it 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth when Andrew Starr scored on a ground out by Randall Stallings, and Jacob Lamar hit a sacrifice fly. They scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Starr.

Branden Roper-Hubbert

At Daytona Beach, FL:

#6 Embry-Riddle has qualified for their second straight trip to Lewiston, defeating Auburn-Montgomery 11-3. The Eagles got all the runs they needed in the fourth, on RBI singles by Aaron Tea, Branden Roper-Hubbert, a run walked in, and a run on an error. Roper-Hubbert finished 4-5 with a home run and three RBI.

At Sioux City, IA:

#13 Fresno Pacific took out #16 Madonna 6-2 in the elimination game. Jacob Burns and Brian Oliver combined to hold Madonna to four hits. Burns went 7 2/3 innings, struck out seven. Jared Coleman went 2-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI for the Sunbirds.

The Sunbirds then defeated #11 Bellevue 8-5 to force a final game on Friday. Coleman hit a home run in the first inning, and the Sunbirds got the rest of the runs they needed with a five-run second inning, including a two-RBI single by Tyler Pryor, and a two-RBI double by Case Rigby.

At Hattiesburg, MS:

William Carey took out #22 Savannah College of Art and Design 20-16, but they will have to wait until Friday to face #5 Southern Polytechnic in the final.

At Saint Charles, MO:

#8 Campbellsville defeated Kansas Wesleyan 11-0, ending a 26-game winning streak by the Coyotes. The Tigers scored all eleven runs in the fourth inning, helped by four errors by the Coyotes. Bryan Fuller pitched a complete game shutout for the Tigers. They will play one more for the championship on Friday.