HATTIESBURG, Miss. - No. 4-seed Central Methodist lost 5-2 to fifth-seed South Carolina-Beaufort on Thursday, dropping the first game of the Hattiesburg Bracket in the 2013 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round.
South Carolina-Beaufort (27-23) scored three runs in the sixth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit to Central Methodist (25-12), which falls into an elimination game Friday at 10 a.m. CT at Milton Wheeler Field against No. 2-seed Oklahoma Baptist.
The Sand Sharks struck in the first inning as they cashed in on JJ Crespo's leadoff double courtesy an RBI single from Erick Armstrong. In the fourth inning, Central Methodist got to South Carolina-Beaufort starter Miles Galvin as a pair of singles by Jesse Zellner and Neal DeMartin led to a run to tie the game at 1.
The Eagles moved ahead with a run on a bases loaded walk in the sixth inning. Shane Lowe led off the frame reaching base after he was plunked by Galvin. He later scored when Kyle Poynter drew one of Garvin's five free passes in the contest, but the Sand Sharks answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good.
Gavin, Andrew Barrineau, and Kyle McCullogh combined to limit the Eagles to just four hits on the afternoon. Barrineau picked up the win in relief, going 2 1/3 allowing no hits. McCullough worked the ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Armstrong led South Carolina-Beaufort at the plate going 3-for-3 with 2 RBI's.
Drew Greiwe (9-1) suffered his first loss in more than a calendar year for Central Methodist, allowing four runs in six innings of work. Greiwe picked up seven strikeouts Thursday, leaving him one shy of the school's single-season record (78) which he tied last season and was first set in 2011 by Freddie Cabrera.
DeMartin led the Eagles at the plate going 2-for-2 with an RBI. Lowe was 1-for-3 and scored both of the team's runs. Lowe and Daniel Peters each stole a base.
South Carolina-Beaufort returns to action tonight at 7:00 pm as they take on number one seed Northwood (TX).
