SEGUIN, Texas – Colby Schmidt had three hits, including a three-run homer, and Tyler Bludau hit a grand slam, as Southwestern powered its way to a 15-7 victory over No. 24 Centenary in an elimination game at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday night at Katt-Isbel Field.
The Pirates (17-24), who pounded out 16 hits in the win, will take on Texas Lutheran in another elimination game at 12 p.m. Sunday.
Schmidt put Southwestern on the board in the opening frame, as the first-year catcher belted a three-run homer over the wall in left field with two outs.
An inning later, Cole Kelly scored on an errant pickoff throw to push the Pirates' lead to 4-0.
After the Gents picked up two runs in the fourth and another in fifth, Southwestern received a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.
Centenary plated a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. However, the Bucs answered with five in the bottom of the panel, including a grand slam by Tyler Bludau, who came off the bench as a pinch hitter.
Ethan Luna pushed Southwestern's lead to 12-5 in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.
The Gents mustered two marks in the eighth, but the Pirates answered again in the bottom of the stanza, this time with three runs, which capped the scoring.
Schmidt finished the contest 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and four runs scored. Austyn Laird was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Bludau finished 1-for-1 with four RBIs.
Michael Platz (1-2) earned the win in relief, as the right-hander allowed two runs over three innings and struck out five.
Holden Novak (5-4) suffered the loss after yielding four runs (three earned) on five hits in 1.1 frames.
– SOUTHWESTERN –