Posted: May 10, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Corey Alexander tossed eight innings of one-run ball as the fifth-seeded Siena Heights baseball team defeated four-seed Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.), 3-1, before dropping a 2-0 contest to No. 8 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in NAIA Tournament Opening Round action on Thursday at Embry-Riddle's Sliwa Stadium.
In the win, Alexander surrendered one run on five hits while recording three strikeouts and two walks. Jake Kret(Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) pitched the ninth for his eighth save, breaking SHU's single-season record for most saves.
Offensively, Cory Lehman (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) led the way with three hits and a stolen base while Josh White (Brooklyn, Mich./Columbia Central) had two hits and two runs scored.
The Saints (32-24) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and tacked on an insurance run in the third.
In the opening frame, Siena Heights had five straight two-out singles. Lehman and White set the stage for RBI singles by Brett Howard (Sylvania, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales) and Dan Abbott (Plymouth, Mich./Lutheran Westland). Corey Caldwell (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln Consolidated) added a single, but Howard was thrown out at the plate to end the rally.
In the third, the Saints added another two-out run. Lehman and White had singles and Abbott walked before Todd Vandercook watched a 3-2 pitch miss the zone for an RBI base-on-balls.
SPSU struck for its only run in the third on an RBI single by Devin Thaut.
Josh Means suffered the loss for Southern Poly (35-24). He gave up three runs on eight hits before reliever Kevin Bibler worked three shutout innings.
Against the top-seed Eagles (41-16), SHU had only four hits while Brett Kuebler (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) was the losing pitcher, giving up two runs on six hits while compiling four strikeouts, two walks and three hit batsman.
Embry-Riddle took the lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Ian MacGeorge and then added a key insurance run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Jeff Lemon.
In the SHU ninth, Kyle Benschoter (Hudson, Mich./Hudson) singled and Mike Lollo (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini) walked, bringing the winning run to the plate with one out, but Lehman flew out and White struck out to end the game.
Daniel Eaton was the winning pitcher for Embry-Riddle. He had seven strikeouts and two walks.
Siena Heights will be in action again on Friday when it plays in an elimination game at 6 p.m. against the winner of Friday's Biola (Calif.)/Southern Poly matchup at 10 a.m.
In the win, Alexander surrendered one run on five hits while recording three strikeouts and two walks. Jake Kret(Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) pitched the ninth for his eighth save, breaking SHU's single-season record for most saves.
Offensively, Cory Lehman (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) led the way with three hits and a stolen base while Josh White (Brooklyn, Mich./Columbia Central) had two hits and two runs scored.
The Saints (32-24) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and tacked on an insurance run in the third.
In the opening frame, Siena Heights had five straight two-out singles. Lehman and White set the stage for RBI singles by Brett Howard (Sylvania, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales) and Dan Abbott (Plymouth, Mich./Lutheran Westland). Corey Caldwell (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln Consolidated) added a single, but Howard was thrown out at the plate to end the rally.
In the third, the Saints added another two-out run. Lehman and White had singles and Abbott walked before Todd Vandercook watched a 3-2 pitch miss the zone for an RBI base-on-balls.
SPSU struck for its only run in the third on an RBI single by Devin Thaut.
Josh Means suffered the loss for Southern Poly (35-24). He gave up three runs on eight hits before reliever Kevin Bibler worked three shutout innings.
Against the top-seed Eagles (41-16), SHU had only four hits while Brett Kuebler (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) was the losing pitcher, giving up two runs on six hits while compiling four strikeouts, two walks and three hit batsman.
Embry-Riddle took the lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Ian MacGeorge and then added a key insurance run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Jeff Lemon.
In the SHU ninth, Kyle Benschoter (Hudson, Mich./Hudson) singled and Mike Lollo (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini) walked, bringing the winning run to the plate with one out, but Lehman flew out and White struck out to end the game.
Daniel Eaton was the winning pitcher for Embry-Riddle. He had seven strikeouts and two walks.
Siena Heights will be in action again on Friday when it plays in an elimination game at 6 p.m. against the winner of Friday's Biola (Calif.)/Southern Poly matchup at 10 a.m.
