NASHVILLE - With a season that featured top seed Trevecca Nazarene and #2 Cedarville battling to the final game of the regular-season, it was no surprise that the 2013 G-MAC Baseball Championship Tournament came down to the finale between these two programs.
Like a copy of the regular-seasons final weekend, TNU needed to take the final two games from Cedarville to host the Championship, and that’s exactly what the Trojans did on Tuesday and Wednesday to capture the G-MAC Baseball Championship. The game will not only brought home the championship, but Trevecca's fifth G-MAC Championhip in 2012-13 also secured the G-MAC Presidents' Cup for the Trojans Athletic Department.
Cedarville reached the finals with two wins on day one of the Championships, defeating Urbana 8-1, and then advancing out of the winners bracket with two runs in the ninth for a 6-5 win over Trevecca. The Trojans reached the finals dropping its first game of the tournament to Cedarville, but rallied with two wins on day two, eliminating Urbana with a 6-5 win, and forcing the deciding "if necessary" game with a 12-7 win over Cedarville.
Entering the tournament, Cedarville and Trevecca were tied in the Presidents' Cup stadings. TNU trailed Cedarville by percentage points all year, but by winning three-straight championships in which they have participated (men's and women's golf, and softball), the Trojans tied the Yellow Jackets a top the standings. CU leads the way with five total championships (men's and women's cross country, volleyball, men's basketball, and women's tennis), but can be tied in that category if TNU is able to secure Baseball. The Trojans other championship came in women's soccer.
GAME RECAP:
Cedarville University sent shortstop Steve Cardwell to the mound to start the game, his first pitching appearance of the season, while the Trojans countered with Dakota Angell. Both pitchers saw limited action, but both performed well in the pressure of a championship game.
Trevecca did manage a run early off of Cardwell, though unearned as Mark Rayburn set the stage by reaching on a two-base error and with two outs, G-MAC Freshman of the Year Hunter Newman drove in Rayburn with an RBI-single.
Cedarville tied the game in the third inning when Steve Cardwell helped himself by hitting a leadoff double and later scored on a Cam McWilliams ground out. Both teams added a run apiece to make it 2-2 as the game became a pitching battle through the first five innings.
In the sixth and seventh inning, the Trojans blew the game open with three unearned runs in the sixth with two outs, and four more runs in the seventh to take a 9-2 lead. The Trojans scored four runs before ever surrendering an out on five singles and a walk. The seventh was highlighted by Mark Rayburn's two-run single.
Trevecca added another run in the eighth, but Cedarville wasn’t going to give up as they chipped away in the eighth and ninth innings, scoring five times and bringing the game-tying run to the plate in the ninth.
The Trojans managed to close out the victory on a fly ball to left, and the team began its celebration. Angell earned the win on the mound, improving to 2-5 on the season as he went seven strong innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one. Rob Nesteroff was given the loss, despite not allowing an earned run. He dropped to 3-1 on the season.