KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Christian baseball opened the NCCAA World Series being played at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy as the Evangels battled back from three runs down against No. 5 seed Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), but the comeback effort came up just short as MACU fell 5-4 on Friday afternoon.
 
Mid-America Christian vs. Fort Lauderdale
SCORE

• Fort Lauderdale 5, Mid-America Christian 4
  • Mid-America Christian (31-21)
  • Fort Lauderdale (33-25)

PITCHING DECISION

• Win: Josh Crawford (8-1)
• Loss: Zane Robeaux (7-4)
• Save: Julian Pichardo (1)

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – UFTL – Aderlyn Cubilete singled to right-center, RBI; Justin Martinez scored – UFTL 1, MACU 0
• BTM 1^st – MACU – German Sepulveda grounded into a double play; Isaiah Leon scored  – UFTL 1, MACU 1
• TOP 3^rd – UFTL – Malachi Wood reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Justin Martinez scored – UFTL 2, MACU 1
• TOP 3^rd – UFTL – Aderlyn Cubi reached on a fielding error by rf; Malichi Wood scored – UFTL 3, MACU 1
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Devon Villanueva singled to left, RBI; Andrew Enwiya scored  – UFTL 3, MACU 2
• TOP 4^th – UFTL – Wilbert Vargas homered down lf line, 2 RBI; Erik Scott scored – UFTL 5, MACU 2
• BTM 6^th – MACU – Andrew Enwiya singled to left, RBI; Isaiah Leon scored  – UFTL 5, MACU 3
• BTM 6^th – MACU – Yan Ely Adames hit a SAC fly to center, RBI; Ryan Reed scored  – UFTL 5, MACU 4

TOP PERFORMERS

• Andrew Enwiya – 2-4, RBI, R, HBP
• Isaiah Leon – 1-3, 2 R, BB, HBP
• Zane Robeaux – L, 7.2 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 7 SO

GAME NOTES

• Fort Lauderdale scored its five runs on eight hits and committed one error while Mid-America Christian pushed across its four runs on 10 hits and also made one miscue.
• Fort Lauderdale gained the early lead on Aderlyn Cubilete two-out RBI single dropped into shallow right-center field to make it a 1-0 game.
• The Evangels were able to get the run back immediately in the bottom of the first. After Isaiah Leon, Ryan Reed and Andrew Enwiya were all able to get on via a hit-by-pitch on the first three batters, Leon came around to score when German Sepulveda grounded into a double play at second to close it to 1-1.
• MACU was nearly able to get out of the third inning unscathed, but the Eagles scored a pair of runs when Malichi Wood barely beat out a double play on a fielder's choice before a misplayed flyball in right plated Wood with two outs to bring the UFTL lead to 3-1.
• The Evangels got one more run back in the bottom half of the third as singles by Enwiya and Sepulveda led to a RBI base knock for Devon Villanueva to make it a 3-2 ballgame. MACU had a chance to drive in the next at-bat when Austin Wood smacked a single to center, but UTFL center fielder Wilbert Vargas threw out Sepulveda at home trying to score from second to keep it to a one-run Eagles lead.
• MACU starting pitcher was able to get back-to-back strikeouts to start off the fourth, but after issuing a four-pitch walk to Erik Scott, Wilbert Vargas smashed a two-run home run down the left field line to stretch the Fort Lauderdale edge to 5-2.
• In the bottom of the sixth, the Evangels mounted another rally as Enwiya smashed an RBI single to left to score Leon for the second time on the day. After Sepulveda reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, Yan Ely Adames drove in another on a sacrifice fly to center fielder, plating Reed to close the gap to 5-4.
• Mid-America Christian's best chance at plating the tying run came in the bottom of the eighth when Reed hit a two-out single down the left field line and stole second, but UFTL closer Diego Pichardo was able to get Enwiya to fly out to center to end the threat.
• Andrew Enwiya led the MACU bats by going 2-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch, an RBI and a run scored while Isaiah Leon also reaching three times, swatting 1-for-3 with a walk and hit-by-pitch to go with a pair of runs scored.
• Despite suffering the loss, Zane Robeaux put together a strong start, allowing five runs, four earned on seven hits, three walks and seven strikeouts over 7.2 innings of work. Kelton Lachelt also tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings, allowing just a hit and a walk.
• Mid-America Christian was competing in its first ever NCCAA World Series game since merging into one division and competing in their first postseason tournament since winning the NCCAA Division II National Invitational in 2004.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will face Carolina in an elimination game at 9 a.m. on Saturday. If the Evangels win, they'd face the loser of the Southwestern Assemblies of God and College of the Ozarks matchup at 3 p.m.