Cavs' Bats Explode in 13-3 win over Cal State San Marcos in NAIA Opening Round
BOX SCORE
SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—The Concordia baseball team scored 11 runs in the first three innings, and the Cavs beat Cal State San Marcos 13-3 in an elimination game within the Santa Clarita Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round at Reese Field Friday.
The 13 runs matched the Cavaliers’ highest run total of the season. The team scored 13 runs once previously, as they beat George Fox 13-0 back on Feb. 23.
The win also keeps the Cavs (29-27) alive in the tournament, while Cal State San Marcos (35-12) was eliminated with the loss. The Cavs will now face fourth-seeded Tabor (Kan.) at 3 p.m. Friday in another elimination game. The Cavs and the Bluejays opened the NAIA Opening Round against each other Thursday, with the Bluejays beating the Cavs, 8-7, on a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th.
The Cavaliers started their scoring outburst from the get-go, scoring four runs in the top of the first, highlighted by a two-run single from Christian Lichtenthaler. Lichtenthaler’s single came after the Cavs scored two runs on a hit-by-pitch and walk with the bases loaded.
It was the second straight game the Cavs scored four in the top of the first, as the team also opened with four runs in the top of the first against Tabor on Thursday. The Bluejays answered with five runs in the bottom of the first yesterday, however, and the Cougars threatened to do something similar Friday. The Cougars drew back-to-back walks to start the first inning, before Kody Sepulveda sent a fly ball to right-center field that looked like it was going to drop for a double. CU right fielder Carl Beckert got a good jump on the ball, however, diving to make a highlight-reel catch. Beckert then popped to his feet and threw to second, beating the Cougars’ Kyle Secciani to the bag, as Secciani took off thinking the ball was going to drop.
The Cavs then came back with five runs in the top of the second, going up 9-0 on the Cougars after only nine outs in the game. Jared Young singled with the bases loaded for a two-run single to start the rally, while RBI singles from Ben Talbot, Jimmy Sanchez and Blake Drake added to it.
Sheldon Austria then capped the Cavs’ early scoring in the top of the third, hitting a two-run home run over the right-field fence to make it 11-0.
Young and Talbot also added an RBI each in the top of the fifth, making it 13-0 for the Cavs.
The Cougars eventually broke through with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the game was well in hand by then.
Masked among the Cavs’ high was a six-inning shutout performance from CU starting pitcher Jon Yearout. The Cougars only got three hits against Yearout, while the junior left-hander had four strikeouts.