CEDARVILLE, Ohio - The Trevecca baseball team (27-18, 8-5 G-MAC) defeated Cedarville University (21-12, 6-5 G-MAC) 8-6 in game one of a double-header on Saturday. The win means the game two winner will be crowned the 2013 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) champion. The Trojan baseball team has found the win column in nine of their last 11 games. Trevecca will host the 2013 G-MAC Baseball Tournament May 6-8 at Jackson Field on the campus of Trevecca Nazarene University.

This is the sixth G-MAC title for Trevecca's athletic teams this year. Baseball joins the women's soccer, women's basketball, women's golf, men's golf, and softball teams as champions of their sport in the inaugural season of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

It is the first baseball conference title since the 2008 team won the TranSouth. It is the 11th conference title for a Trevecca baseball team.

GAME ONE
Trevecca fell behind 4-0 when Cedarville scored two in the first and second innings. Trevecca changed the momentum of the game with a six-run fourth inning and never trailed again. TNU added a run in the fifth for a 7-4 advantage, but the Jackets scored two in their half of the inning to make things interesting and cut the Trojan lead to just one-run at 7-6. Trevecca added an insurance run in the seventh to end the scoring.

In the six-run fourth inning Trojan senior Jordan Foreman led off the inning with a single. Hunter
Newman reached on a fielder's choice and both runners moved up on a CU throwing error. The bases were loaded after Blake Rogers walked. Corey Crunk reached on a fielder's choice that scored Foreman. Crunk  and Rogers moved up a bag on a wild pitch that scored Newman. An out later Trae Weiss walked to reload the bases. Cameron Boyett was next with a single that scored Crunk and Rogers. With two how Mark Rayburn doubled to left center scoring Boyett and Weiss.

Blake Rogers was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a double, and two walks. Cameron Boyett was 1-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. Mark Rayburn was 1-for-4 with a double, and two RBI. Tyler Tichenor was 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Trevecca scored eight runs on eight hits and had three errors. Cedarville scored six runs on seven hits and had three errors. Trevecca left nine runners on base while Cedarville left six.

In the fifth inning Trevecca senior Blake Rogers lead off with a double and then scored on a one-out single from Tichenor.

Trevecca junior Connor Haddock (5-0) picked up the win with six hits, three walks, and six hits allowed. Haddock retired three Jackets on strikes. Bryan Smith pitched a one-hit inning in the sixth. Mason Dunn picked up the save after allowing two walks to lead off the seventh.  

In the Trojan seventh Tichenor lead off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a balk, then scored and out later on a SAC fly from Boyett.

Jordan Ammon (2-1) started for CU and took the loss after giving up eight hits, seven runs - two earned, and four walks while striking out five.

GAME TWO

Trevecca's Austin Huibers and Cedarville's Ryan Ledbetter were the story of the title game early on.  There were just three hits allowed through the first five innings. 

Ledbetter struck out four TNU batters while Huibers fanned seven. The Yellow Jackets had an opportunity to take the first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth when they got two runners on base with just one out.  The threat would be eliminated though by the left-handed Huibers who struck out Chris Ward and Logan Kasabian.

The Trojans would break the 0-0 tie in the sixth. After Nick Howell was walked and later stole second, Mark Rayburn would single through the right side scoring Howell giving TNU a 1-0 advantage.

Cedarville would threaten again in the home half of the sixth.  With Tyler Hurt and David Lenhardt on base, a wild pitch from Huibers would move those two into scoring position. The Yellow Jackets wouldn't be able to do anything with the opportunity as Steve Cardwell grounded out and Zack Huskey struck out looking.

After a Cameron Boyett RBI single pushed TNU's lead to 2-0 in the seventh, Trevecca would explode in the eighth with three more runs.

With two outs, Hunter Newman, Blake Rogers and Corey Crunk each would connect with run-scoring hits increasing the Trojans' lead to 5-0. 

Bryan Smith entered in the eighth on the mound for Trevecca and would close out the game retiring all six Cedarville batters including three strikeouts.

Huibers (3-3) picked up the win for TNU tossing seven innings, allowing just one hit, fanning eight and issuing seven walks.

Rayburn, Foreman and Rogers each collected multiple hits for the Trojans.

Trevecca will focus its efforts next on the G-MAC Baseball Championship set to start May 6 in Nashville. Trevecca will also host the 2013 NCCAA Mid-East Regional immediately following the G-MAC Championships. The NCCAA Mid-East Regional will also take place at Jackson Field.