CLEBURNE, Texas -- The 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament will be extended one more day as Centenary pushed Texas Lutheran to a decisive winner-take-all game after Sunday's 10-8, extra-inning victory at La Moderna Field. Official Website l Tournament Stats l Photo Gallery | Postgame Interview
Centenary improved to 22-18 while Texas Lutheran falls to 25-16. The Diamond Gents eliminated No. 1 seed Trinity 7-6 earlier in the day.
It marks the fourth time in the last five tournaments the winner's bracket team has been forced to a second and final game with the conference title on the line. Only four times in tournament history has a team come out of the loser's bracket to win twice, with the last time coming in 2019 when Trinity posted back-to-back victories over Texas Lutheran.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Centenary jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with Austyn Benoit providing the big blow with a bases loaded double to left center to empty the bases. Gage Morris doubled home Benoit to complete the third inning scoring.
- Texas Lutheran bounced back in its half of the fourth, putting five runs on the board on five hits with Carson Draehn and Aric Vasquez both pushing through two-run singles to do the major damage.
- Centenary tied the game in the top of the sixth when an Alex Miller sacrifice fly scored Braeden Morse, who had walked to start the inning.
- The teams exchanged the lead in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, with Centenary going up 6-5, then TLU tying it at 6 in the seventh. Then Centenary went up 7-6 after eighth before TLU answered with at run to even it at 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth.
- The Gents put the game away in the top of the 11th with run scoring at bats from Carson Livesay, Lenny Forth and Benoit to put the game away.
- Centenary battled through the game with a pitching by committee approach, using five different pitchers to get through the 11 innings. Texas Lutheran only used two pitchers.
CENTENARY COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Carson Livesay: 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI
- Austyn Benoit: 3-6, 1 run, 2 2Bs, 4 RBI
- Walker Wicklund: 3-5, 1 run
- Alex Miller: 2-6, 2 runs, 1 2B, 1 RBI
- Gage Morris: 2-6, 2 2Bs, 1 RBI
- Hank Bennett (WP): 2.0 IP, 0 hits, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BBs
TEXAS LUTHERAN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Chase Bourgeois: 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI
- Adam Peavy: 2-4, 2 runs, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Carson Draehn: 1-5, 1 run, 2 RBI
- Aric Vasquez: 1-6, 2 RBI
NOTABLES
- Centenary left 16 runners on base while Texas Lutheran left 13 on in the extra-inning affair.
- Sunday's game was the 15th extra inning game in SCAC tournament history and just the third in the championship round. It tied for the third-longest game in conference history specific to innings played (11).
- Both teams are seeking their third SCAC tournament title. Centenary last won the tournament crown in 2022 while Texas Lutheran last hoisted the championship trophy in 2021.
- This will be the first time the SCAC championship baseball game has been played on a Monday since the 1997 SCAC Spring Sports Festival at Southwestern when rain on Saturday and Sunday forced the event to become a single-elimination tournament with the title game played on Monday.
UP NEXT
Both teams return for a deciding game tomorrow (Monday) at La Moderna Field with the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament as the league's automatic bid. First pitch on Monday is scheduled for Noon CT and will be streamed by SportsGram.
Monday's game will be live streamed through the league's partnership with Sportsgram.
See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/schedule
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