CONWAY, Ark. - After winning its first game against Rhodes in over two years Friday, Hendrix needed to win one more game Saturday to clinch at least a share of its first-ever Southern Athletic Association Regular Season Championship and the Warriors did just that. Hendrix struck early in the first game Saturday and defeated the Lynx 6-1 to clinch a share of the conference title. Rhodes ended up winning the regular season finale, 2-0, in Conway. With the win, Hendrix improves to 28-12 on the season with a 15-6 mark in SAA play while Rhodes holds a 23-17 mark on the season with a 12-9 mark in conference play. With Birmingham-Southern College winning both games Saturday, Hendrix and BSC end the season as co-champions but the Warriors own the tiebreaker after Hendrix took two of three from the Panthers back in late March in Conway. The Warriors will serve as the No. 1 seed and will take on No. 8 Millsaps Friday in the opening round of the conference tournament. The time of the game will be determined at a later time.
HOW THE WARRIORS SCORED:
GAME 1
- 1st -
Jorge Leon singled up the middle, RBI;
Seth Tucker scored.
- 4th -
Rail Gilliam singled to right field, RBI; Juan Pable Leon scored.
- 6th -
Rail Gilliam flied out to cf, sacrifice fly, RBI;
Andrei Stoyanow out at second c to ss to 1b;
Ford Sherrington scored.
- 8th - Juan Pable Leon singled to second base, 2 RBI;
Ford Sherrington advanced to third;
Tanner Cooper scored, unearned;
Jorge Leon scored, unearned.
- 8th -
Andrei Stoyanow reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Juan Pable Leon out at second 3b to 2b;
Ford Sherrington scored, unearned.
GAME 2
- No runs were scored.
WARRIORS' DECISION(S) ON THE MOUND:
GAME 1
W -
Andrei Stoyanow (6-0); 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R/1 ER, 2 K/3 BB
S -
Jacob Wagner (1); 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R/0 ER, 3 K/0 BB
GAME 2
L -
Evan Ingram (4-4); 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R/2 ER, 4 K/2 BB
NOTABLE:
GAME 1
- After Tucker led the game off with a double, Jo. Leon batted in Tucker a few minutes later as Hendrix took the early 1-0 lead.
- Gilliam placed a bloop single in no-man's land into right field as Ju. Leon scored to put Hendrix up 2-0 in the fourth frame.
- Rhodes scored a run before the Warriors scored the last three runs for the 6-1 victory to clinch the title.
- Ju. Leon batted 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Tucker, Sherrington, Gilliam and Jo. Leon carded two-hit performances in the game against Rhodes.
- Stoyanow picked up his sixth victory of the season after tossing five innings of work and allowing just one run; Hendrix improves to 11-0 in games that Stoyanow has appeared in on the mound.
- Wagner tossed the final four innings of action Saturday in the game; allowed just two hits and struck out three Lynx batters; picked up his first collegiate save.
GAME 2
-
Tanner Cooper recorded the first hit for Hendrix in the fourth inning.
- Rhodes scored two in the sixth frame.
- Jo. Leon accounted for a two-out double down the left field line in the sixth but Rhodes hung on for the 2-0 victory in the regular season finale.
- Cooper and Jo. Leon picked up the two lone hits for Hendrix in the game.
- Ingram tossed his first complete game of the season; striking out four batters while allowing just five hits and two earned runs in the outing.
WHAT WAS SAID:
"This was an incredible day," stated first-year head man
Sean McSheffery. "The heart and passion that our guys have put in all year was incredible. The phrase we use in our program is "palm down". 36 guys willing to put their hand on top of 36 others to put the TEAM first. Our guys did jsut that. Words cannot describe how proud I am of our guys and the coaches."
WHO'S NEXT:
Now that the Warriors have won its first-ever SAA regular season title, Hendrix will serve as the top seed in next week's SAA Championships which will be played in Conway and will take on No. 8 Millsaps in the opening game of the tournament. The time for the game will be announced at a later period. The tournament is set to begin Friday from Warrior Field.
