BASEBALL: CIAA Tournament Day 2 Recap

Tournament Statistical Summary | Updated Bracket

PETERSBURG, Va. (April 22, 2011) —No. 2 Saint Augustine’s College and No. 3 Winston-Salem State each won their semifinal contests in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Baseball Championships to advance to Saturday’s 1 p.m. title game at Whaley-Colbert Field on the Virginia State University campus.

Saint Augustine’s arrives to its fourth-straight championship game undefeated through the winner’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Winston-Salem State advanced to this point by winning its last two games including knocking outs top-seeded Chowan University, which suffered two defeats Friday. It sets up a first-round rematch, which the Falcons won, 3-2, on Thursday in the tournament’s opening game.

Saint Augustine’s 7, Chowan 2

A three-run homer by Saint Augustine’s College (36-16) Wayne Lewis in the fifth inning opened up the first semifinal game, powering the Falcons to a 7-2 win over Chowan.

The Hawks (30-16) had several opportunities to get back into the game. In the seventh, they stranded two runners when Eddie Overton could not hold his swing at a ball in the dirt. In the eighth, Chowan pushed one across on a sac fly by Colby Wiggins.

Joe Pierce’s two-out, two-RBI double in the top half of the ninth secured the outcome as Alex Didio pitched a complete-game seven hitter. He struck out six and walked two. All of Chowan’s hit were singles.

The top of the lineup served as the Falcons’ catalyst as CIAA Player of the Year Rashad Ingram and Pierce, a first team all-conference selection, were a combined 5-for-6 with four extra-base hits and five runs scored. Pierce also had three RBI’s while Lewis, behind his three-run blast, had four.

For the Hawks, Ryan Moore was 3-for-4.

Winston-Salem State 18, Chowan 12

Five straight Winston-Salem State (29-18) batters reached to begin the road half of the second inning and four scored before Chowan recorded an out. The big blow came from Andrew Smith on a two-run single, aiding in the Rams busting out to a 6-0 lead.

Both teams combined for 36 hits with WSSU holding a 26-10 edge. In all six Rams and six Falcons recorded multi-hit games. WSSU’s German Reyes recorded three triples as part of a 4-for-6 day at the plate. He scored three runs and had one RBI, which came on his first triple, delivered in the game-changing second inning.

Smith had three RBIs on a 2-for-5 effort but Brice Rivenbark eclipsed him with four while himself going 2-for-5. Chowan’s offense was almost as impressive under the leadership of first basemen Justin Bagbey. Although he was just 1-for-4, he had a big two single in the fourth and two sacrifice flies at later junctions in the game to keep CU close. He had the opportunity to add to his total in the eighth inning. Trailing 15-10 with the bases loaded and two men down, John Markley induced a fly-out to right. Earlier in the frame, Justin Shockley had homered to left-center field, the game’s lone four-bagger.

Wesley Edwards went six innings and surrendered nine runs, eight earned, but had the run-support to take the win.

Schedule
Championship at 1 p.m.
No. 3 Winston-Salem State vs. No. 2 Saint Augustine's College