Athletics News
TLU Baseball advances in conference tournament
April 25th, 2009
(Photo of Jeremy Macklin by Ron Macklin)
Box Score SEGUIN, Texas – The Texas Lutheran Bulldogs advanced to the double-elimination round of the 2009 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Series with a 2-0 win Saturday afternoon over the University of the Ozarks.
The victory at Katt-Isbel Field gave TLU a 2-0 series win in the first round of the conference playoffs. TLU won the first game of the series 10-1 on Friday.
TLU senior third baseman Joe Gentry (Houston/Westside) homered in the second inning to give fellow senior Jeremy Macklin (Austin/Bowie/Huston-Tillotson) all the run support he would need against the Eagles.
Macklin tossed his first shutout as a Bulldog and struck out a career-best 12. Ozarks did not have an extra-base hit against Macklin, and the TLU right-hander did not allow an Eagle past second.
Macklin struck out an Eagle in every inning but the third, and he fanned four of the last six batters he faced.
Macklin improved to 6-1 overall and notched his second-consecutive, complete-game performance. He lowered his season ERA to 1.17.
With TLU clinging to its 1-0 lead in the ninth, the Bulldogs put together a two-out rally with a walk and stolen base by Kyle Harvey (Houston/Christian). Harvey advanced to third when the throw to second (on the steal attempt) skipped into center field. Andrew Femath (El Paso/Montwood/Howard JC) singled through the right side to score Harvey.
Femath and Gentry each had two hits for the Bulldogs.
Todd Koch (3-5) took the loss for the Ozarks. Koch was dominant for six innings before leaving with an injury. He struck out eight and allowed just one earned run.
The loss ended the Ozarks’ season with an overall mark of 17-25. The Eagles advanced to the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed from the ASC East Division.
TLU, the ASC West champion and the ASC West No. 1 seed, moved its overall record to 30-12.
TLU improved to 4-0 in ASC 2-of-3 playoff series in the conference tournament. TLU also remained perfect against Ozarks, moving to 9-0 against the Eagles.
The Bulldogs await the Saturday results from the other three ASC tournament first-round series. If Mississippi College wins its home series against Mary Hardin-Baylor, the double-elimination round of the tournament will be played at MC in Clinton, Miss.
MC, University of Texas-Dallas and University of Texas-Tyler each would need to lose their first-round series for TLU to host the double-elimination portion of the conference tournament. The ASC East Division teams have the first crack at hosting the 2009 double-elimination round. The 2010 tournament will favor ASC West schools in their bid to host the double-elimination round.
NOTES: TLU played as the visitor Saturday on its home ball field. Each game two of the conference 2-of-3 series has the traveling team as the home team.
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