MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Trinity University, Millsaps College and DePauw University all posted opening round wins on the first day of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. Trinity and Millsaps won games that both lasted over three hours while DePauw won a pitching duel in well under three hours.
Game One Recap:
Trinity University, the West Division's #1 seed, rode the heels of Nick Papas, Evan Jones and Dominick Robusto to an 11-7 opening round win over Oglethore University in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. Box Score
The Trinity trio combined to hit .692 (9-for-13) with five runs score, and drove in seven. Jones was 4-for-5 with a run and two RBI, Robusto was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Papas scored three runs and drove in three others.
Pitching was at a premium as neither teams' starter made it through the fourth inning. Trinity starter Joshua Fink lasted just .2 innings after walking two, hitting a batter, committing a balk and allowing two earned runs. Oglethorpe's Mark Hoban pitched 3.2 innings while allowing 13 hits and eight earned runs.
The two teams both scored in each of their first three innings before the Tigers took a 9-6 lead after five innings. The Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels kept it close but just weren't able to get much going after the fifth. Trinity's Tanner Barron picked up a save after throwing 3.2 effective innings while allowing just one run and struck out three.
Oglethorpe cut the lead to 9-7 with a run in the top of the seventh before Trinity answered with two in the bottom half of the inning for the winning margin.
Michael Hunter picked up the win for the Tigers pitching 1.1 innings while allowing a run and two hits. Hoban was tabbed with the loss for the Stormy Petrels.
Trinity will play the winner of the #2E Rhodes vs. #2W Millsaps game on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Oglethorpe will await the loser of the Rhodes vs. Millsaps game and play at Noon Friday in an elimination game.
Game Two Recap:
Millsaps College used a big six run fourth inning in helping to break open a 2-1 Majors lead over the Rhodes College Lynx enroute to a 13-5 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament victory. Box Score
The Majors, the West's #2 seed, tacked on three runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings in beating the Lynx for the second time in three tries this season.
Millsaps was able to get to Rhodes staring pitcher Hunter Chandler in the fourth inning. Trey Rountree doubled to right center to bring in two runs. Two batters later Jeremy Aliff's single up the middle brought two more runs and Millsaps took control.
Chandler was tagged for eight runs and 13 hits over six innings in falling to 3-1 on the year. Millsaps starter Aaron Williams scattered five hits in five innings while giving up just two earned runs and struck out one in earning the victory and improving to 6-1 this season.
The Majors received solid contributions from Will Hawkins (3-for-4, four RBI), Rountree (4-for-5, five RBI and three runs scored) and Jake Mills (3-for-4, three runs, two RBI).
The Lynx were led offensively by Lynden Pindling (4-for-5, two runs, three RBI and a double), Matt Gilbert (2-for-4, one RBI) and Matthew Burnick (2-for-5, one RBI).
Millsaps will play the winner of the DePauw vs. Austin College game on Friday. Rhodes will play Oglethorpe in an elimination game Friday afternoon.
Game Three Recap:
The game of the night during the first day of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament was the nightcap between the DePauw University Tigers and the Austin College Kangaroos. After two slugfests preceded the game, DePauw and Austin College played a classic pitchers duel with the Tigers hanging on for a 3-2 win at USA Stadium. Box Score
DePauw, the East's #1 seed, scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the first inning and survived a furious Austin College rally in the top of the ninth. The #3 West seeded Kangaroos had runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the ninth when a wild pitch advanced Scooter Merritt and Jamie Garcia to second and third respectively. That was as close as the 'Roos got as Andy White flew out to center field to end the game.
Tigers starting pitcher Brad Gerlach tossed wonderful 7.1 innings, scattering eight hits while yielding two earned runs and striking out seven. Any Manson relieved Gerlach to pick up the last two outs in the eighth before freshman T.J. Witham closed the door in the ninth for the save. Gerlach improved to 3-2 on the year.
Kanaroo starting pitcher Tyler Steed was the tough luck losing pitcher. He pitched a solid eight innings scattering six hits, three earned runs and struck out four. He dropped to 5-6 this season.
DePauw got on the board thanks to a Jon Newman two-out RBI single. The next batter, Alex Wright, then doubled to right center scoring Newman and Rob McPike.
Austin College got on the board in the fourth. After Jordon Robison doubled to right center he was sacrificed to third. Robison then scored on Bennett Herrick's single to center field. The 'Roos then cut the lead in half in the top of the eighth when Tyler Appelquist doubled home Andy White.
DePauw will play Millsaps at 7 p.m. Friday while Austin College will take on West Division rival Trinity at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
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