
No. 2 USAO Struggles Late and Drops First Game of Opening Round
LEWISTON, Idaho – Monday afternoon, the No. 2 seed University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (34-19, 17-7 SAC) opened the 2023 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round with an 11-7 loss against No. 3 seed Concordia University (47-8, 26-5 WHAC).
The Concordia Cardinals received an automatic bid into the tournament as the regular season champions of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and finished as runner-up in the WHAC Tournament.
After a pair of scoreless innings to open the game, Concordia took the first lead with one run in the top of the third inning.
The Drovers took over the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and the score remained 3-1 until the sixth inning.
The Cardinals reclaimed the lead with a five-run outburst in the top of the sixth and took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth, when Science & Arts responded with a four-run rally to take a 7-6 lead. The Drovers rally was highlighted by Peyton McDowall's three-RBI triple to center field.
Concordia once again re-took the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning to claim an 8-7 advantage. The Cardinals then added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach for good.
As a team, Concordia tallied 13 hits, while Science & Arts strung together 12 hits and the Cardinals committed two fielding errors, while the Drovers committed one error.
Drew Shaver got the start on the mound for the Drovers and he pitched the opening 5.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits, and he struck out five batters.
Josh Harrel relieved Shaver in the sixth and was dealt the loss as he delivered 1.0 inning of relief. Boone Lasater followed Harrel and tossed 2.1 innings, prior to Claudio Rodriguez recording the final out of the top of the ninth.
Offensively, the Drovers were led by two-hit performances from Nick Fleckenstein, Gabriel Arroyo, Christopher Martinez, and Gage Gaunt. Arroyo concluded 2-5 with a run scored and a run batted in, while Fleckenstein and Gaunt each went 2-5 with a run scored. Martinez singled twice as he concluded 2-5.
Peyton McDowall drove in a trio of runs with a triple and he finished the day 1-4 with a run scored. Ben Lawson scored a pair of runs as he finished 1-3 with a walk, and Ryan Duncan went 1-2 with a walk, a run scored, and a run batted in. Will Hoch singled as he finished 1-3 with a walk.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Science & Arts now must battle their way out of the loser's bracket and will face No. 1 seed Hope International University at 2:30 PM CT on Tuesday, May 16 at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.
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