MONTGOMERY, Ala. – In a matchup of the top two seeds in the NAIA Opening Round Regional hosted by Faulkner University, the home team was victorious by a 10-0 score over the 16th ranked Lions (38-16). The Eagles, ranked 3rd nationally in the last Coaches' Top 25 Poll, are one of the most talented teams in the country and have been a factor in the NAIA Avista World Series the past three seasons.
Faulkner first scored in the second inning as they took advantage of a pair of walks. Two innings later, they added a pair to the scoreboard to extend their lead. The game was put out of the reach during a five run inning which was allowed by a costly error from the Pride.
Despite the lopsided score, the Blue and Gold were strong competitors and were just three hits off the total that the Eagles tallied. Offensively, Trai Patrick (JR/Everett, WA) went 2-3 along with a walk and Jose Rojas (SR/Anaheim, CA) went 2-4 at the plate.
"We need to bring our 'A' game to extend our season and get another shot at Faulkner," Rojas said eagerly looking forward to tomorrow's game.
Vanguard plays tomorrow, May 19th, at 1:00 p.m. CST as the bracket times have been shifted forward to avoid the poor forecasted weather. The Lions will face off against Texas A&M- Texarkana (33-19) in a do or die scenario. Both teams have suffered a loss so far in the tournament with the winner advancing to play Faulkner at 4:00 p.m. local time. Of the five teams in the Montgomery Bracket, only three remain as Central Methodist and Texas Wesleyan have been eliminated from contention.
-GOLD PRIDE-
