Baseball News

Centre eliminated by Southwestern in two games

The Centre College baseball team dropped two games to Southwestern in the SCAC Cross Divisional Baseball Tournament 6-4 and 5-2 Saturday, April 19 in Memphis, Tenn.

The Colonels fall to 17-16 on the year after the pair of losses. With the wins the Pirates improve to 22-18 and qualify for the SCAC Spring Sports Festival.

Game One

After going ahead 4-0 early in the game, the Centre College baseball team was defeated 6-4 by Southwestern in game one of the best of three SCAC cross divisional series Saturday, April 19 in Memphis, Tenn.

The Colonels opened the scoring early, putting up a run in the top of the first inning on a pair of singles by junior Jeffrey Williams (Knoxville, Tenn.) and freshman Cory Crowdis (Louisville, Ky.).

Centre would add a run in the second, third, and fourth innings to take the 4-0 lead. In the top of the second sophomore Steven Kull (Frankfort, Ky.) tripled to drive in a run and put the Colonels up 2-0. Freshman Steven Proctor (Springfield, Ga.) opened up the third inning with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Crowdis. In the fourth, Centre would push across another run as Proctor drove in a run with a single to take the 4-0 lead.

Junior Jake Jones (Griffin, Ga.) worked out of jams to record three scoreless innings to start the game for the Colonels. The Pirates finally put up a pair runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning on two singles and two doubles to cut the Centre lead to 4-2.

After a scoreless fifth inning, Southwestern chipped into the lead again in the sixth scoring a run on a walk and an RBI double. The Pirates finally took the lead 6-4 in the seventh inning putting up three runs on three walks and three singles.

The Colonels came up in the top of the eighth needing to put together a rally. Jose Ordonez (Boston, Mass.) started the inning with a leadoff double, but even after a walk to Kull and a single by Williams Centre was unable to push any runs across.

Jones suffered the loss for the Colonels going 6.1 innings, allowing six runs on ten hits while striking out one and walking six. Aaron Herbert (Louisville, Ky.) relieved Jones in the seventh inning and allowed no runs on one hit and struck out two in 1.2 innings.

The Colonels offense did pound out 13 hits in the loss led by Williams, who went 3-5 and scored a run. Proctor, Kull, Ordonez, and Brandon Rosen (Ashland, Ky.) each added two hits.

For the Pirates, Wes Willis picked up the victory in the complete game effort. Willis allowed four runs, three earned, on 13 hits while striking out four and walking three.

Richard Falcone went 3-4 at the plate for Southwestern and drove in two runs. Michael Murphy, John Wooten, and Mark Noggle each added two hits.

Game Two

After dropping game one, the Colonels returned to action in game two of the day-night double header, needing a win to keep their hopes of reaching the conference tournament alive.

After a scoreless first inning, Southwestern opened the scoring in the top of the second on three consecutive singles off Centre starting pitcher John Herbert (Louisville, Ky.) to go ahead 1-0.

The lead was short lived as the Colonels answered with a run of their own. Jake Jones led off the second inning with a solo home run to right field to tie the game at 1-1 after two innings of play.

The score remained 1-1 until the fifth, when the Pirates added a run to take a 2-1 lead on a double and a pair of Centre errors.

Following a scoreless sixth inning, Southwestern added three more runs in the seventh on a pair of singles, a double, and an error to go ahead 5-1.

Centre missed a scoring opportunity in the eighth as the Colonels were unable to score after a double by senior Kevin McGee (Louisville, Ky.) and a single by Kull.

After the Pirates were held scoreless in the top of the ninth, Centre needed a big ninth inning trailing 5-1. Proctor started what looked like a possible late inning rally with a double and was driven in by senior Ben Jeffers (New Albany, Ohio) to cut the score to 5-2. After Jones reached on an error, the Colonels brought the tying run to the plate, but Brantley Freeman came out of the bullpen for the Pirates and struck out the final two Colonels hitters to record the save.

John Herbert suffered his first loss of the season for Centre, falling to 6-1 after allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits while striking out three and walking two. Aaron Herbert came out of the bullpen and worked two perfect innings of relief.

The Colonels were led at the plate by Proctor who was 2-4 with a run scored and Jones who went 1-4 with a home run.

For the Pirates, Kyle Belski picked up the win after dominating the Colonels hitters, allowing only one run and one hit in his first seven innings of work. For the game, Belski pitched 8.1 innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out eight and not issuing a walk. Brantley Freeman recorded the final two outs of the game to pick up the save.

The Southwestern offense was led by Todd Boone and John Wooten who each had two hits. Boone scored two runs and Wooten drove in three in the win.

Centre will return to action Wednesday, April 23 as they travel to Asbury. First pitch is set for 4:30 pm.