Posted: May 08, 2021
Texas Lutheran moves into SCAC Championship final with 12-10 victory over No. 2 Trinity
Texas Lutheran
(27-11)
12
Trinity (Tex.)
(26-6)
10
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Texas Lutheran | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 2 |
|
Trinity (Tex.) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 1 |
CLEBURNE, Texas -- The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs will play for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championship on Sunday after Saturday's 12-10 winner's bracket victory over second-ranked Trinity.
In a windy and wild affair at The Depot at Cleburne Station, the Bulldogs survived a sixth inning that had 11 combined runs scored and a couple of Trinity scoring threats late in the game, particularly in the seventh.
TLU improved to 27-11 overall and will face either Trinity (26-6) or the winner of this afternoon's Southwestern/Centenary game. Southwestern and Centenary are currently in an elimination game.
The winner of that elimination contest faces Trinity in the late game tonight. The winner of tonight's late game gets the Bulldogs on Sunday. TLU is the only unbeaten team remaining in the tournament and needs just one win Sunday to claim the championship.
The Bulldogs took a 9-4 lead in the top of the sixth with a five-run frame. Simon Scales gave TLU a 5-4 lead on a sacrifice fly, and Holden Philippus singled home Joe Jimenez to push the lead to 6-4.
The TLU lead grew to 7-4 on a Caleb Maly single and hit 9-4 with a two-run single from Cullen Motsinger.
A Trinity error extended the inning, and all five of the Bulldogs' runs in the inning were unearned.
Trinity countered with six runs in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Schaub hit a two-run home run in the inning, and Jack Vonderhaar delivered a two-run single.
The Bulldogs regained the lead in the seventh with a pair of runs. Jimenez hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot, with one out in the inning.
After a pair of walks, to Randy Huerta and Scales, Philippus singled to score Huerta. The RBI hit put TLU in front 11-10.
In the bottom of the seventh, TLU reliever Zach Perry worked out of a bases-loaded jam. Mason Meredith grounded out to second baseman Austin Colon to end the scoring chance.
In the eight, the Bulldogs added an insurance run with back-to-back doubles from Colon and Tyler Cauley.
After Perry worked a scoreless eight, TLU turned it over to closer Blade Strzelczyk in the ninth. Strzelczyk retired the first two batters before giving up a double to Jack Wisniewski.
With Schaub representing the tying run, Strzelczyk struck out Schaub swinging on a fastball.
Perry collected the win and moved to 2-1. Strzelczyk recorded his third save.
Harrison Durow (3-1) was credited with the loss. Trinity used eight pitchers, and TLU used five.
The teams combined for 30 hits, with each team finishing with 15.
Motsinger had four of TLU's 15 hits. He went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.
Jimenez with 3-for-3 with the two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. Jimenez hit his seventh and eighth homers of the year. He now has 45 RBI in 37 games.
Cauley was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. He now has 45 RBI in 38 games this year. In his Bulldog career, Cauley has 196 RBI in 181 career games.
