CLEBURNE, Texas -- Second-seeded Centenary got 7.1 strong innings from Cody Myers and the Gents held off third-seeded Southwestern, 6-4, in opening round play of the 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Baseball Championship Friday evening at La Moderna Field. Official Website l Tournament Stats l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview
The all-SCAC left-hander scattered 10 hits and allowed four runs while striking out five and walking one to help send the Gents to the winner's bracket matchup against Texas Lutheran tomorrow at Noon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- SCAC Freshman of the Year Alex Miller jumpstarted the Centenary offense with a three-run home run, his seventh of the season, as the Gents put their first two runners on base to open the bottom of the first and the freshman brought them around, giving the Gents early 3-0 advantage.
- The Gents scored twice more in the second, with sophomore Clay Menard's two-run, two-out triple doing the damage and pushing the margin to 5-0.
- From there, Southwestern started pecking away at the lead, scoring once in the fifth when a sacrifice fly from senior Jake Harris drove in first-year Owen Stevenson who had led off the inning with a double. The Pirates scored one more in the seventh after a lead-off single from sophomore Tres Organ led to an RBI single from first-year Ben Feuer.
- Things got really interesting in the top of the eighth when Southwestern plated two runs on three hits, culminating with a two-run double by Organ, to cut the Centenary lead to 5-4. But the Gents responded with an insurance run in their half of the eighth when first-year Walker Wicklund walked and sophomore pinch runner Andrew Landry stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly from first-year Gage Morris.
CENTENARY COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Alex Miller: 1-3, 1 run, 1 HR, 3 RBI
- Clay Menard: 1-2, 1 run, 1 3B, 2 RBI
- Carson Livesay: 1-1, 2 runs
- Cody Myers (WP): 7.1 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 1 BB
- Jacob Broussard (SV): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Tres Organ: 2-4, 1 run, 1 2B, 2 RBI
- Jacob Tanner: 2-4, 1 run
- Ben Feuer: 3-4, 1 RBI
- Jake Harris: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
- Greg Ferguson (LP): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 6 BB
NOTABLES
- Centenary is now 2-5 in its last opening round SCAC tournament games, but the two times it did win its opener (2017 and 2022), the Gents went on to win the tournament.
- With the victory, Centenary improved to 6-4 all-time against Southwestern in conference tournament play.
- Centenary is 4-0 against Southwestern this season, having swept the Pirates in a home three-game series on April 5-6.
- In all-time tournament play, Centenary is now 15-18 while Southwestern slips to 41-36.
- Southwestern, which will look to bounce back in an elimination game against Trinity tomorrow, is seeking its first tournament win since 2021.
UP NEXT
Centenary will take on No. 4 seed Texas Lutheran at Noon CT on Saturday, while Southwestern will face top-seeded Trinity in the first elimination game at 3:30 p.m. CT.
