Vanguard baseball wins two

BASEBALL

NAIA Opening Round Tournament

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — No. 13-ranked Vanguard University won two games on Thursday and will play No. 3-ranked host Faulkner University in the title game on Friday at 7 a.m. PDT for the right to advance to the NAIA World Series.

Vanguard topped Texas A&M Texarkana, 14-7, early Thursday, then edged top-seeded Faulkner, 5-4, to force the if-necessary game in the double-elimination format.

The Lions (40-16-1) saw a 4-0 lead vanish against Faulkner, which tied it at 4-4 on a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning.

But after designated hitter Shane Elias-Calles singled, Matt Harris doubled and Sam Neufeld walked to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth, catcher Kevin Bettencourt drove in the game-winner on a squeeze-bunt single.

Vanguard closer Michael Jordan, who had blown the save in the ninth, earned the victory, his second in three decisions this season.

Vanguard’s Matt Silberman started the game and allowed just two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Brandon Sandoval was two for four with two runs and one run batted in, while Brock Eissman had a two-run single and added a third RBI with a sacrifice fly for the Lions.

Against Texas A&M Texarkana, the Lions won a slugfest to reward Ryan Heinle, who earned the complete-game victory on the mound. It was the first complete game of the season for Heinle, who improved to 7-4.

Paul Keating was three for four with four runs and three RBIs, while designated hitter Justin Vega was three for six with two doubles and three RBIs for the winners.

Eissman was two for four with four RBIs and two runs, Sandoval was two for four with three runs, and Jose Rojas hit a homer and had three RBIs for the Lions.

Vanguard lost to Faulkner in last year’s NAIA World Series and had lost earlier in the tournament to the host team.

Faulkner is 48-13.