CLEVELAND – The Centre baseball team survived and advanced on elimination Saturday at the NCAA Tournament, jumping out to a big lead and withstanding a late charge to exact revenge against the Arcadia Knights by a score of 12-9.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- The opening inning was a wild one for both teams. The first three batters for Arcadia reached on a hit by pitch, a walk and an RBI double. The Knights added another run on an RBI groundout, but
Isaac Rone stranded the runner on third to end the inning and the freshman pitcher settled into a groove.
- Centre answered back with a big first frame as well.
Ayden Lohr got on with a bunt single and then
Evan Weyler lined one up the middle for a base hit to put runners on the corners.
Graham Johnson cut the deficit in half with a shot up the middle before
Aaron Lopez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Colonels then drove in a pair of runs without swinging the bat as
Baylor Woodall walked and
Chase Austin was hit by the pitch, giving Centre a 3-2 lead.
- In the second,
Ben Prather reach on an error to open the inning. The Colonels immediately capitalized on the miscue as Lohr connected on an opposite field triple to make it a 4-2 game. Walks to Weyler and Johnson loaded the bases and then a two-base error by Arcadia allowed a pair of runs to score. Woodall and Austin delivered productive outs with RBI groundouts to cap off a five-run inning for the Colonels.
- The Knights scored a pair of runs in the fourth to cut it to 8-4 but Rone started a 1-4-3 double play to avoid further damage and get out of the inning. When it was Centre's turn to bat, Weyler led off with a single and stole second, eventually scoring on a base hit by Woodall for a 9-4 Centre lead.
- In the seventh,
TJ Schira came on in relief of Rone and after allowing the first two Knights to reach, Schira struck out three in a row to keep the lead at five runs.
- Centre added to the lead in the bottom of the seventh as
JT Weisberg smacked a triple into the gap to lead off. Prather put one in play for an RBI groundout that made it 10-4. The Colonels put runners on the corners after Lohr walked and Weyler singled. When Weyler took off for a stolen base attempt, Lohr followed from third and scored to put Centre up 11-4.
- Arcadia cut into the lead with two runs in the eighth, but Centre loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning as Woodall singled, Austin walked and
Jamison Craig beat out a bunt for a hit. A fielder's choice by Prather resulted in another run for the Colonels.
- The Knights staged a late rally in the ninth as they scored three runs and loaded the bases, putting the go-ahead run at the plate, but
Aidan Christmas sealed the victory with a strikeout for the 27th out.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Colonels had five different players finish with two or more hits, led by Weyler with three. Woodall tied a game high with three RBIs.
- Rone had his longest outing of the season, striking out eight in six innings to get his sixth win of the year.
- Centre pitchers struck out 13 Arcadia batters on the day.
NEXT UP
Centre will play no. 18 Case Western Reserve on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 11 AM. If the Colonels win, the two teams will play again, 45 minutes after the end of game 1.
