The Pioneers won a pair of remarkable games on Monday to survive and advance to the championship round of the HAAC Conference Tournament. The Pioneers will need to beat William Jewell twice tomorrow to win the tournament.
In Game 1 vs. Culver-Stockton, the Wildcats scored a run in the first inning, but the Pioneers put together a 2-out rally in the second to take the lead. With 2 outs and nobody on, Jordan Goliat reached on a bunt single and Josh Greer doubled him home to tie the game. After back to back walks, Ben Alison drove home 2 more with a single up the middle, and a bases-loaded walk to AJ Nunley put the Pioneers up 4-1. Culver picked up another run in the fifth to close the gap, and the score remained 4-2 until the top of the eighth. With 2 outs and a runner on, the Wildcats began their comeback. A single and a walk loaded the bases, and Culver's Jared Thompson nailed a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam to give the Wildcats a 6-4 lead. The Pioneers came right back in the bottom of the eighth when Jordan Goliat tripled and Kyle Segraves walked. Culver brought in their ace reliever Chadd Chatfield, who is second in the nation in saves. His first pitch was nailed down the left field line by freshman David Hamlett to bring home a run, and Ben Alison did the same thing to bring home 2 more and give MNU an 8-7 lead. Lefty starter Kyle Olson pitched brilliantly into the 8th, Tino Luna picked up the win in relief, Justin Huggins finished out the ninth to pick up the save, and David Hamlett (1-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB), Ben Alison (4-5, 2B, 4 RBI), Jordan Goliat (2-4, 2 R, 3B), and Josh Greer (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) led the offense.
Game 2 was against Lindenwood, who embarassed MNU on Saturday with a 19-2 victory. The Pioneers scored in the first inning when Kyle Segraves led off with a double and moved to 3rd on a flyout. Ben Alison knocked in Segraves with a groundout, and MNU led 1-0. Alison added to his incredible RBI day with a 2-run homer in the third to put the Pioneers up 3-0, and a Kyle Segraves 2-out RBI single in the sixth increased the lead to 4. The Pioneers averted disaster in the seventh when Lindenwood brought home a run and loaded the bases with no outs. But Luna induced a ground ball double play which scored a run, then struck out Conference Player of the Year Shelby Anderson to end the threat and maintain a 4-2 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Lions had runners on first and second with two outs, and Crispin Tarango lofted a deep fly ball to right-center. MNU thought the game was over, but the ball popped out of the glove and allowed both runners to score to tie the game. After the crushing setback, the Pioneers answered right back in the tenth. Jarid Renzelman led off with a walk, and pinch runner Donnie MacLeod moved to second on a passed ball. Kevin Liddle's perfect bunt moved MacLeod to third, and Jordan Goliat's 2-strike sacrifice fly to left gave MNU a 5-4 lead. Lindenwood threatened in the bottom of the inning when Carlos Pianetta's double put runners on second and third with one out. But Justin Huggins struck out the next two Lions to preserve the lead and the 5-4 victory. Lefty Tino Luna pitched into the 8th and allowed just 6 hits. Justin Huggins suffered the tough-luck blown save but recovered to pick up the victory. And Kyle Segraves (4-5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI, SB), Ben Alison (1-5, R, HR, 3 RBI), and Jarid Renzelman (2-4, BB) led the offense.
The Pioneers are 32-16. Tomorrow's double header (Game 2 played if MNU wins first game) vs. William Jewell (32-19) will start at noon.
Culver Box and Play by Play
L'Wood Box and Play by Play
