TYLER, Texas – The Concordia scored seven runs after the sixth-inning, rallying from a four-run deficit to defeat third-ranked UT Tyler 8-5 on Saturday and advance to the championship game of the first round.

Bret Leiferman and Michael Evan each had three hits for the Tornados and drove in two runs apiece during a four-run seventh-inning. Casen Novak, in the leadoff spot, reached bases three times and scored twice.

Matthew Brown started on the mound for CTX as they used four total pitchers to hold off the Patriots late. Matthew Williams pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three to earn his sixth win of the year.

After being held scoreless in the first five innings, the Tornados scored eight runs in the final three innings. Trailing 5-1, a two-out rally led to a bases loaded situation for Leiferman. He would drive one in the gap to make it 5-3. Evan followed up with a two-run single through the right side to tie the game up.

In the eighth, Tyler Johnson would give CTX its first lead of the day with an RBI single up the middle. CTX would tag on two more runs in the inning to make it 8-5 going into the ninth.

Williams worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to close out the game and secure the win over UTT.

The Tornados advance to the blue bracket championship game on Sunday at 1 p.m. and will face the winner between UT Tyler and Louisiana College. The champion of the blue bracket will face the champion of the red bracket in a best-of-three series beginning on May 12.