Oklahoma City, Okla.- Second seeded Colorado Christian University snuck past top seeded Mid-America Christian University on Tuesday afternoon, winning 4-3, moving them into the NCCAA Central Region Championship game on Wednesday. MACU went on to play Central Baptist College, cruising to a 16-3 victory, giving the Evangels another shot at CCU in the championship game.
CCU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. Ryan Serena reach on a walk and advanced to third on two straight pass balls by catcher Adrian Bravo-Carmona. A balk by pitcher David Wynn plated Serena.
Carmona knotted up the score in the top on the second with a solo shot over the left-center field fence. It was his 13th home run of the year.
CCU regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Back-to-back walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third. Jimmy Martinez hit a sacrifice fly, plating Chris Guyer. After a visit to the mound by pitching coach Dany Brazoban, Wynn finished the inning striking out the next two batters.
The Cougars made it a 3-1 game in the fourth with an RBI single by Serena. There lead wouldn't last for long. MACU tied the game in the top of the fifth. Senior Matt Allen got thing started with a double down the left field line. Sam Lewis followed with a single, advancing to second on the throw to put both runners in scoring position. Pete Feurtado grounded out, allowing Allen to score. James Frederick singled up the middle, plating Lewis to tie the game 3-3.
The Cougars put together three consecutive hits in the bottom of the seventh to plate the game winning run.
Ivan Juvera is tagged with the loss on the mound allowing one run on four hits in 2.1 innings of work. Starting pitcher David Wynn lasted 3.2 innings giving up three runs, two earned on one hit with six strikeouts and eight walks.
Lawson Cheek got the win on the mound, tossing a complete game, allowing three runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.
MACU bounced back in the late game, blowing past CBC 16-3. The Evangels opened the game, scoring two runs in the top of the first. With two outs, Frederick drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Carmona and Dan Heskin each walked to load the bases. Catcher Tim Mahler singled, plating Frederick and Carmona.
The Mustangs cut MACU's lead in half in the bottom of the first using one hit and two Evangel fielding errors to plate a run.
In the second frame, Scott Mulhearn led off the inning with a single and later scored on a fielder's choice giving MACU a 3-1 lead.
MACU held CBC to three up, three down in the bottom of the second. They continued to pound in the runs in the top of the third. Heskin led off the inning with a triple. Mahler followed with a stand-up double, pushing Heskin across home plate. The scoring continued with a single by Mulhearn, allowing Mahler to reach home plate. MACU took a 5-1 lead into the bottom half of the inning.
Once again the Evangel defense held CBC, seeing only three batters in the bottom of the third. Feurtado led off the fourth with a double off the centerfield wall. Frederick reached on a walk. Carmona followed with a single deep down the left field line to plate Feurtado. Heskin cleared the bases with a three-run bomb over the right field fence, giving the Evangels a commanding 9-1 lead.
MACU left no doubt in the top of the fifth, plating 7 insurance runs on five hits with the help of two CBC errors.
The Mustangs plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth but MACU was still able to get the five-inning run-rule.
Heskin went 3-3 in the game with five RBI's. Mulhearn also went 3-3 adding 3 RBI's.
Kyle Francis, a right-handed pitcher from Moore, Okla., got the win on the mound pitching four innings allowing one unearned run with three strikeouts. Pedro Perez closed out the fifth allowing two runs, one earned on two hits .
MACU will face CCU in the NCCAA Central Region Championship game on Wednesday, April 14th at 11 a.m. It's a must win game for the Evangels. With an Evangel win, the teams will face off again at 2 p.m. to decide the champion.
