Diamond Gents Fall in SCAC Championship Game to Texas Lutheran, 8-5

CLEBURNE, Texas - The Gents pulled within 6-4 after spotting the Bulldogs six runs but could climb no closer as Centenary (26-16) fell to #13 Texas Lutheran (34-9) 8-5 Sunday afternoon, May 6, in the 2018 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship game.

Down 6-0 after three innings, the Gents scored four in the fourth. Sophomore Cody Crowder reached on an error and scored on senior Chris Zapata's double. Junior Cameron Guin then roped an RBI double. With one out, freshman Preston Ludwick added an RBI double before moving to third on a ground out. Junior Andrew Russell added a two-out single to right on an 0-2 count to cap the inning.

Later down 8-4, Zapata hit a one-out double and scored on a two-out double by senior Ian Graham.

Zapata finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Senior Kaleb Kirk (8-3) took the loss, allowing five hits and five runs in 2.1 innings pitched.

After scoring a single run in each of the first two innings, Texas Lutheran scored four in the third to open up a 6-0 lead. Eric Rabinowitz led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a groundout, and swiped third. Ben Marvin hit a ground-rule double to put the Bulldogs up three. Thomas Varner's single put runners on the corners. Tyler Cauley followed with an RBI single before Keaton Boysen doubled in a third run. Matthew Lemon capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Texas Lutheran wrapped up the scoring with single tallies in the fifth and seventh for the final three-run margin.

Cauley and Boysen both went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cauley scored a pair of runs and Boysen crossed the plate once. Dylan Murrell (2-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing four hits and one run in 4.1 innings pitched.

Dylan Dragac picked up his first save of the season, allowing just one hit in the ninth.

Following the contest, Zapata, junior Matthew Devillier, and freshman Chris Haggard were named to the All-Tournament team.