DANVILLE, Ky. – With their backs against the wall after Friday night's loss, the Centre baseball team needed to win twice on Saturday to keep their season alive. The Colonels did just that, defeating Sewanee by scores of 13-3 and 7-4 to advance to the next round of the Southern Athletic Association Tournament.
 
Game 1: Centre 13, Sewanee 3 (8 innings)
 
- After not recording a hit until the fifth inning on Friday, the Centre offense came alive early and often in game 1. In the bottom of the first, Karson Thompson stole second and scored after Chase Austin went the other way with a double into the gap to give the Colonels their first lead of the series.
- The Tigers tied the score in the second, but Centre rallied for four runs in their half of the inning. The Colonels put runners on first and third after singles from Luc Morgan and Evan Weyler. A Sewanee error allowed the first run to cross the plate. Josh Cunningham then sent a triple into the gap to clear the bases. An RBI single by Dillon Di Iorio capped off the run and the Colonels had a 5-1 lead.
- A Sewanee solo homer cut the deficit to 5-2, but Centre got the run right back on a sacrifice fly from Weyler that scored Austin.
- In the fourth, Di Iorio was hit by a pitch and ended up on third after a gapper double by Thompson. Austin then lined a base hit past the diving second baseman to drive in two more runs.
- Now leading 8-3 in the sixth, Centre once again had Di Iorio on third and Thompson on second. Teddy Holloway smacked a base hit up the middle for the ninth and tenth runs of the game for the Colonels.
- Centre ended the game in the eighth as Austin led off by reaching on an error. The Colonels then hit four consecutive singles as Aaron Lopez, Holloway, Morgan and pinch hitter Will Cline all delivered the hits to produce the ten-run lead and the 13-3 win.
 
Game 2: Centre 7, Sewanee 4
 
- The early stages of the game belonged to the Tigers. Sewanee pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the third and carried the momentum to the fourth as they scored two runs.
- Weyler led off the bottom of the fifth by ripping a double to left field. He was sacrificed to third and later scored on an RBI groundout from Cunningham. Di Iorio walked and Thompson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Austin, who was clutch at the plate and in the field all day long, tied the game with a base hit. Then Lopez smacked a double to left to put the Colonels on top 4-2.
- Another leadoff hit from Weyler triggered another scoring run for Centre. With runners on first and second, and errant Sewanee throw gave Centre an insurance run as Weyler scored from second.
- Centre tacked on another run in the seventh as Lopez led off with his second double of the day. Pinch runner Will Kempf stole third and Holloway's opposite field single made it 6-2.
- In the eighth, David Kinsbrunner came on to pitch with runners on first and third, and the Centre closer struck out a pair of Tigers to escape the jam with a 6-3 lead.
- The Colonels added another key run in the eighth as Cunningham doubled into the gap to lead off and stole third. With two outs, Austin again came through in a big situation with a base hit up the middle to put Centre ahead 7-3.
- In the top of the ninth, Sewanee put runners on the corners with nobody out. Jack Gerber, who pitched in game 1, came on in relief of Kinsbrunner, and following an RBI groundout, Gerber struck out the next two batters to secure the 7-4 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
 
- Austin went 4-9 at the plate with 5 RBIs on the day, with several of them coming with two outs. He also snagged a liner at first base for an unassisted double play to help Centre escape a jam.
- Holloway had an excellent day at the plate as well, leading the team with six hits in eight trips over the two games while driving in three runs.
- Aidan Christmas earned the win in game 1 after allowing one run and striking out four in four innings of long relief.
- Mason King picked up the victory in game 2, throwing four innings in relief and pitching out of several jams.
- Gerber threw a shutout inning in both games, finishing with three strikeouts.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre baseball will travel to Birmingham-Southern for the next round of the SAA Tournament. Stay tuned to CentreColonels.com for game times and opponent information.