MASON, Ohio – The top-seeded Trevecca Nazarene University baseball team (40-12) advanced to the championship round at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championships with a 6-5 extra innings win over third-seeded Alderson Broaddus University (29-19).

TNU Video from 2014 G-MAC Championships

Thursday:  (Alderson Broaddus) Coach Schmalz Postgame Comments (Video)

Wednesday:  (Cedarville) Schmalz/Shoulders Postgame Comments (Video)

Wednesday:  (Cedarville) Game Highlights (Video)

Look Around Prasco Park (Video)

The game was filled with drama as both teams were playing with the hopes of advancing undefeated into Saturday's championship round.

With the Trojans leading 5-4 heading into the ninth inning, Alderson Broaddus tied the game at 5-5, sending the game into extra innings. Battlers center fielder Brandon Quay led off the ABU ninth with a single. Trevecca starting Michael Purcell, who was still working in the ninth, sat down the next two Battlers on strikes and appeared to have the Trojans on the cusp of victory. ABU's David Bryan drew a walk from Purcell though to keep the inning alive. Daniel Essian reached on an error in the next at bat, scoring Quay from second to tie the game. Purcell induced a grounder in the next at bat to prevent the upset and extend the game.

Trevecca third baseman Hunter Newman came to the plate with one out in the Trojan 10th and drove the first pitch from ABU's Jeff Conley over the left-center field fence. His team-leading eighth home run gave the Trojans the room they needed for the victory as TNU reliever Michael Donaldson came on to pitch the bottom of the 10th and made the one-run lead hold up.

 
Alderson Broaddus took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run double by Quay, his first of four hits on the evening. The Battlers held that lead, holding the Trojans scoreless for the first four innings.

However, in the fifth TNU scored four times on four two-out hits. The rally started with a solo home run by Ryan Arington and was capped by a two-run single by Newman. Patrick Reed followed Arington's blast by beating out the throw, reaching on an infield grounder to short. Nick Howell reached on a walk in the next at bat. Tyler Tichenor singled up the middle scoring Reed from second to tie the game at 2-2. Newman followed with a single to score Howell and Tichenor for a 4-2 Trevecca lead.
 
Howell added a run to the Trojans lead when he led off the inning with a solo home run, his seventh home run of the year.

AB responded with a two-run seventh, to close to within a run at 5-4. The Battlers had an RBI single by Quay and a sacrifice fly by Jordan Martin to score their two runs.
 

Newman was 3-for-5 with a run scored, three RBI, and a home run. Howell was 1-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk, and an RBI. Tyler Tichenor was 2-for-5 with a runs scored, a stolen base, and an RBI.

Trevecca had 10 hits and four errors while Alderson had eight hits and no errors.

Michael Purcell (10-1) pitched nine innings to get the win. He allowed seven hits, five runs – two earned, a walk, and struck out five. Michael Donaldson pitched the 10th, giving up a hit, to get his fourth save of the year.
  
The Battlers will play in the elimination bracket final game looking for another chance to face TNU. They will play the winner of Friday's 8:00 a.m. elimination game between fifth-seeded Cedarville University (26-24) and sixth-seeded Davis & Elkins College (24-24). The CU/D&E game was moved to 8:00 a.m. to avoid Friday's predicted afternoon rain. The elimination bracket final will start 30 minutes after the 8:00 a.m. game is completed.

Trevecca advances directly to the Saturday's 11:00 a.m. championship game out of the winners bracket and needs to win one of the two possible championship games to claim its second G-MAC Baseball Championship in as many years.

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