It was an offensive slugfest between the number one seeded Campbellsville Tigers and the two seeded Lindenwood Lions. Campbellsville held off the Lions with a 17-8 win to move on to the finals of the 2009 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round Tournament against Kansas Wesleyan.
The Lions jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first but Campbellsville came right back with four runs of its own. The Lions retook the lead with single tallies in the second and the third to take the lead but that was the last lead they would have. Campbellsville plated 13 more runs including a five run fourth.
Every hitter in the Tiger lineup had at least one RBI and they were led by catcher Zach Townsend who was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Tigers’ third baseman Chris Curley hit his 19 th home run of the year in the Tigers’ sixth inning after the Lions had cut the deficit to 10-8 in the top half of the inning.
The Lions’ bats were clicking this afternoon but it just wasn’t enough. Justin Lamar was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Second baseman Mark Ruiz pitched in with two hits in three at-bats and three RBIs. Brandon Newton added two hits, two runs and two RBIs.
With the loss, the Lions season, in which they set a school record for wins, comes to a close with a 45-12 record. Campbellsville will now move on to take on Kansas Wesleyan later tonight for a chance to move onto the NAIA College World Series.
