CLEBURNE, Texas — The Southwestern University Pirates baseball team kept its season alive, surviving with an 11-10 victory over the Centenary Gents.
In a game of wild momentum swing, no one swung their bat better than catcher Colby Schmidt, who led the Pirates with four RBI and two runs scored on 3-for-4 hitting.
Centenary was aggressive moving runners into scoring position, starting with Cameron Guin's leadoff single in the bottom of the second. The Gents moved him over with a sacrifice bunt and Guin took third with a steal, setting up Tyler Welch's RBI infield single to give Centenary a 1-0 lead.
Cole Kelly put the Pirates on the board in the top of the third with a RBI-single through the left side, scoring Hayden Craig, who reached on a leadoff single. Kelly later scored on a Schmidt sacrifice fly to put the Pirates up 2-1.
Centenary opened the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. After Andrew Russell stole second, Chris Haggard hit a sacrifice fly to score Tyler Erickson and tie the game.
Cody Crowder followed with a RBI-single up the middle to retake the lead for the Gents.
Southwestern scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning, doing most of its damage with two outs.
Daniel Montgomery Jr. took a 2-2 pitch to left center for a one-out single and Kelly drew a walk to put two on before Dowdell lined out to right field, moving Montgomery to third with two outs.
Schmidt hit a RBI-single to plate Montgomery and Ethan Hallmark walked to load the bases, setting up Seth Sparks' two-RBI single up the middle.
Chase Thinger kept the momentum going with a RBI-single through the right side.
Sparks and Thinger then pulled off a double steal to take second and third, scoring on a wild pitch and Ted Lobkowicz single to give Southwestern an 8-3 lead.
The Pirates opened the next inning with two reaching by a hit batter and walk with both scoring on Schmidt's two-RBI double. Schmidt then scored on an Ethan Hallmake single through the left side for an 11-3 lead.
Centenary came charging back over the final three innings.
Brandon Griffin opened the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single and Welch followed with a double, putting runners on second and third.
Erickson scored Griffin with a sacrifice fly and Russell brought in Welch with a single.
Crowder opened the bottom of the eighth with a walk and Preston Ludwick singled to left center, ending Southwestern starting pitcher Austin Colton's game.
Trey Schwarz walked Guin to load the bases, giving way to Griffin's two-RBI single, prompting the Pirates to turn to Montgomery on the mound.
Montgomery surrendered two more runs before the Pirate defense got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play.
The Gents scored one run in the bottom of the ninth but Guin flies out with the tying run on second to end the game.
With the win, the Pirates advanced to play Trinity this evening with the winner moving on to play Texas Lutheran for the SCAC Championship.