Lewiston, Idaho - The Central Methodist baseball program won a thriller over host team Lewis Clark State, knocking off the Warriors by a final score of 8-5 in the semifinals of the 2021 Avista NAIA World Series Wednesday afternoon in Lewiston, Idaho.
Central improves its overall record to 49-7, continuing to add to its program record for single season wins. The Warriors conclude their season with a 44-6 mark.
Lewis Clark State kept their offensive momentum going from the previous game in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs to take an early 3-0 lead. CMU responded with a run in the top of the second, as senior Mason Schwellenbach started the inning with a leadoff double to centerfield. Following a wild pitch which put Schwellenbach to third, Logan McDonald was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners.
Senior third basemen Grant Victor grounded out to second which scored Schwellenbach from third, trimming the Warriors lead to 3-1. Lewis Clark added its fourth run in the next half inning, stretching its lead back out to three.
Central cotinued to chip away at the Warriors lead, as Deshawn Cole started the third with a lead off double to centerfield. Kenny Otero then moved Cole over on a ground out, followed by a ground out from Logan Haring to bring Cole home.
CMU continued its offensive push in the fourth with a pair of runs to tie the game at 4-4. Max McCay drew a walk with one out, and senior right fielder Adrian Martinez then stepped to the plate and hit a two-run home over the left field fence, his eighth of the season.
Both pitching staffs threw scoreless frames for the next two innings, before Central grabbed the lead with three runs in the seventh. The Eagles strung together four consecutive hits from Otero, Haring, Sergio Macias and Schwellenbach. Otero started the inning with a single followed by a double from Haring to place runners at second and third with no outs. Macias put CMU out in front with a two-RBI double to deep left field.
After Schwellenbach singled to put runners at the corners, a strikeout followed by a walk from Victor would load the bases with just one out. McCay drove in the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Macias.
Central pushed its lead to four in the next half inning, as Macias collected his second consecutive RBI double of the game to deep centerfield. Despite the Warriors threatening in the botton of the ninth, eventually scoring a run on a double, Beau Atkins retired the final two batters to propel Central to an 8-5 semifinal win over the the Warriors.
Junior ace Nick Merkel tossed a gem on the bump, throwing eight complete innings and giving up only four earned runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts. Merkel did not surrender a run through the final seven innings of work en route to his 14th win of the season. He ties fellow ace Mason Schwellenbach for the most wins in the nation this season.
The trio of Otero, Macias, and Schwellenbach each collected three hits, while Macias drove in three runners. Martinez recorded the lone home run of the game for Central, while Haring, Victor and McCay each picked up an RBI.
The Eagles advance to the National Championship rounds tomorrow night. Formatting of the NAIA National Championship will be determined after the conclusion of tonight's game between Georgia Gwinnett and Faulkner.
*UPDATE - With Georgia Gwinnett's 15-10 win over Faulkner in the second game of the day, Central Methodist will face off against Georgia Gwinnett in the first game of the Championship Series Thursday, June 3 at 6:30 p.m. CMU will need to win to force a winner-take-all game on Friday.
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