TYLER, Texas – The Concordia Baseball team, facing elimination, defeated Centenary and Rhodes on Saturday to advance to West Regional championship game.
In the first game of the day, seven Tornados had at least two hits in the game, tallying 21 hits as a team on the way to an easy 13-4 win over Centenary College.
Michael Evan had three hits on the day, including a two-run home run in the fifth, falling a triple short of the cycle as he finished with five RBIs.
Race Mellman scored twice and drove in three runs on an inside-the-park home run in the five-run sixth as CTX began to blow open the game.
Matthew Williams, meanwhile, was one out away from a complete game, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out five on the day.
The Tornados led 4-0 after three innings, as all of the team's eight hits were singles at this point, including two by
Bret Leiferman, who would have five hits in the game. CTX would push their lead to 10 runs after scoring eight runs total in the fifth and sixth innings and led 12-2 after six complete.
Leading 13-4,
Trey Toney would come in relief of Williams to get the final out of the game.
In the nightcap, the Tornados faced Rhodes College and led by the pitching of
Tristan Gideon and
Cole Angelle, CTX defeated the Gents 6-4.
After falling behind 1-0, the Tornados grabbed the lead with three runs in the fourth; including an RBI triple by Evan and an RBI double by
Ryan Clouse to left center. Clouse had two hits in the game and CTX would lead 5-2 after six innings played.
Gideon, meanwhile, got the start for the Tornados, pitching into the fourth inning, allowing only two runs on three hits and struck out one. Angelle would come on in relief in fourth, pitching five innings for the Tornados, and earning the win after allowing only two runs on four hits.
CTX would add an insurance run in eighth on a
Jacob Gwynne single through the infield scoring Leiferman for the third time in the game.
In the ninth, Toney came in to close it out. After a one-out single, Toney would get the strikeout and fly out to end the game.
The Tornados will now play Cal Lutheran at noon on Sunday in the West Regional championship game. CTX will need to win twice on Sunday to earn a ticket to the College World Series.
