Updated G-MAC Championship Bracket
MASON, Ohio – Trevecca Nazarene, Cedarville and Ohio Valley, each emerged as victors when the dust settled following the first day of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship on Wednesday.
The top-seeded Trojans defeated No. 6 Salem International, 7-3, fifth-seeded OVU outlasted No. 2 Alderson Broaddus in extras, 3-1, and the No. 4 Yellow Jackets won the nightcap vs. No. 3 Kentucky Wesleyan, also by a 3-1 final.
There was nothing but beautiful weather, temperatures dipping into the 80’s and sunny skies covering the fields of play, at PRASCO Park and the artificial turf surface at Legacy Field.
The double-elimination bracket was revised and will now feature the following matchups for Wednesday: an elimination game between No. 2 AB and No. 6 SIU at noon (field one), No. 1 TNU vs. No. 3 KWC at 3:15 (field two) with No. 4 CED and No. 5 OVU concluding the day.
All games will continued to be streamed live on G-MACsports.com with video/audio and live stats for all contests.
In Wednesday’s early game, Trevecca Nazarene flexed its offensive muscle after Salem International manufactured an early go-ahead run in the top of the second inning.
Trevecca Nazarene 7, Salem International 3
The Trojans responded with four of their own in the next half inning to take the lead and give some run support for a dominant outing by Zach Smith.
Smith would strike out nine over seven strong innings, yielding three runs on seven hits while walking just one.
TNU’s G-MAC Player of the Year Hunter Newman showcased his pull power, going 3-for-5 with a double. Ethan Hurt was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored with a double and Ivey Starling relieved for two final scoreless innings.
For Salem International, Anthony Bariso doubled and scored while Emilio Lollio had a pair of hits. Starter Dolan Kunkel logged 6.1 innings and was tagged for three earned runs.
Ohio Valley 3, Alderson Broaddus 1 (10 innings)
Both teams scrapped and adapted to the unique element of artificial turf as Tyler Proctor delivered the decisive blow with a chopper up the middle that plated two in the top of the 10th.
Proctor drove in all three runs for the Fighting Scots, which overcame a four-game sweep at the hands of AB during the regular season.
The Battlers clawed their way back in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run following a bases-loaded no-out situation. But a pair of fly outs ended the additional threat and prevented a walk-off celebration.
In regulation, an entertaining pitcher’s duel unfolded between AB’s lefty Chris Boatto and OVU’s Tucker Hughes, but both received no-decisions while giving their teams a chance to win.
Boatto and Hughes each went eight innings and matched each other for the duration, allowing just one run apiece.
Cedarville 3, Kentucky Wesleyan 1
Jordan Ammon went the full distance with a five-hit complete-game gem to lead the Yellow Jackets past the Panthers.
Ammon kept Kentucky Wesleyan off balance at the plate while giving up just one run and striking out five; he eventually outdueled G-MAC Freshman of the Year Sammy Holder, his counterpart on the mound.
Sam Summerlin snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning while an additional came around to score on an errant throw.
Cedarville’s middle infield of Summerlin and Zach Huskey then flashed the defensive leather with gold-glove caliber defense in the late innings. Huskey recorded five consecutive by himself at second base, including an extended diving grab.
Kentucky Wesleyan had the first lead following a sacrifice fly by Troy Paris, but a nice piece of opposite field hitting by Steve Cardwell in the fourth inning knotted the game at 1-1.