SEGUIN, Texas – No. 4 seed Southwestern dropped the opening game of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship to top-seeded Texas Lutheran, 3-1, on Friday afternoon at Katt-Isbel Field.
The Pirates (16-24) will play the loser of third-ranked and No. 2 seed Trinity and 24th-ranked and third-seeded Centenary at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in an elimination contest.
Nathan Malinovsky (9-1) limited Southwestern to five hits and an unearned run to earn the victory.
Will Preston (4-2) also went the distance, but allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in a losing effort. The right-hander also fanned six.
The Bulldogs (26-13) opened the game with an unearned run in the first frame.
Riley Schaefer reached on an error and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Jeremy Law followed with a single to right field that brought in Schaefer.
TLU doubled its advantage in the fifth, as Law struck for a run-scoring double that pushed Rayce Gatlin across the plate.
Two innings later, Gatlin led off with a double and moved to third on Schaefer's sacrifice bunt. Alex Gutierrez then provided a single to left field, which allowed Gatlin to score.
The Pirates tallied their only run in the final panel.
Clayton Sparks reached second base on an error with one out in the ninth. He then advanced to third on a groundout. Thomas O'Brien, who also pinch hit, lined a single to left field that plated Sparks. Malinovsky retired the next batter to close out the game.
– SOUTHWESTERN –