SEGUIN, Texas – Winning all three games played in extra innings this season is impressive enough, but to accomplish that feat when all three games were on the road is even better.
The Gents took game one in 10 innings, 7-5, but #14 Centenary (24-8, 9-5 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) fell to #24 Texas Lutheran (22-11, 12-2 SCAC) 12-1 in the nightcap of a conference doubleheader Friday night, April 15.
Tied at five heading to the 10th, the Gents put a one-out rally together. With no one on, junior Aaron Quintanilla drove the full-count pitch to centerfield. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored Quintanilla and moved everyone else up a base, and an RBI groundout by junior Brooks Williams put the Maroon and White up 7-5.
Texas Lutheran tried to answer in the bottom of the 10th when sophomore reliever Kaleb Kirk allowed the tying runs on with no outs. However, Kirk (8-3) closed the game with a strikeout, groundout to third and a flyout.
Kirk allowed three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work, picking up the win after relieving Centenary senior starter Holden Novak. Novak went 8.1 innings and allowed 10 hits and five runs with a pair of strikeouts.
Centenary trailed in game one, 2-1, before a three-spot in the top of the sixth. Sophomore Chris Zapata walked and advanced to second on Quintanilla's single. Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt, and sophomore Ian Graham singled in both runners to put Centenary ahead. A groundout advanced Graham to second, and freshman Cameron Guin's two-out hit put Centenary up a pair.
The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the inning, but Zapata's fourth sacrifice fly of the season in the seventh pushed the lead back to two.
Quintanilla led the Gents from the plate by going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. He blasted his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field to leadoff the second.
Texas Lutheran scored a pair in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras. Novak got the first out of the inning, but singles by Riley Schaefer and Alejandro Guitierrez put men on the corners. Kirk came in to relieve Novak, but gave up a single to cut the lead to one. Kirk induced a popup, but a two-out single by Colby Schrade tied the game.
Schaefer went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Schrade went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and a run scored. Aarone Milone came out of the pen for his first loss of the season in four decisions, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned) in 3.1 innings of work in game one.
The Gents offense could not get going as Texas Lutheran scored the first six and last six runs of the contest in game two. The Bulldogs scored an unearned run in the second, but exploded for three runs off Centenary sophomore starter Jackie Allen in the fourth. Schrade, Austin Frick and Andrew Whitten all singled and a pair of errors by the Gents' left fielder allowed the home team to go up 3-0. Rayce Gatlin chased Allen with an RBI single, and senior Devin Bench came in and got a double play to end the inning.
Texas Lutheran added another pair of runs in the fifth, but Centenary could not capitalize after the first two reached with no outs in the seventh. Junior Michael Schimpf reached on an error to lead off the inning, and freshman Colten Maples followed with an infield single – the first Gents hit of the game. Zapata grounded into a fielder's choice that forced Scimpf out at third, but Quintanilla drove in the only Centenary run of the game with a single.
The Gents managed only four hits in game two, all of which came in the last three innings. Allen (5-2) took the loss, allowing five hits and four runs (two earned) with three walks in 3.1 innings of work.
The 3-4-5 hitters for Texas Lutheran went a combined 9-for-12 with seven runs and four RBI's, three RBI's of which were off the bat of Keaton Bohrman. The Bulldogs pounded out 16 hits, only one of which went for extra bases.
Lincoln Baylor (5-2) went the distance for the home team, allowing only one run and four hits with five strikeouts in nine innings of work.
#14 Centenary and #24 Texas Lutheran play the rubber game of the series tomorrow at noon. The Gents clinch an SCAC Tournament bid with a win and Dallas loss to Southwestern.