Box Score CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- For the second straight year, Campbellsville University advanced out of the loser's bracket to the Mid-South Conference Baseball Tournament final. But for the second straight-year, the Tigers came up short Friday and watched a first-year MSC team celebrate a title on the mound of Tiger Field, as Shawnee State University ran the table in the tournament with an 8-0 win.
The win gives the Bears their first MSC title and wraps up an automatic bid to the NAIA Baseball Tournament Opening Round. Campbellsville already locked its Opening Round bid to the NAIA by winning the MSC regular season April 23.
Campbellsville struggled to hit Shawnee State pitcher Andrew Carter, who carried a one-hit shutout through six innings. In the remaining three innings, Carter allowed two more hits, but that was the most damage the Tigers would put on the Bears' three-hit shutout.
As the visitors on the scoreboard, Campbellsville attempted to score first.
Michael Durham doubled to deep leftfield with one out, and
Jameel Ziadeh followed to reach base and put runners on the corners after Zac Alexander misplayed a ball at shortstop. However, the threat died when Ziadeh was caught stealing and Tony Rossetto struck out looking.
Shawnee State took advantage of the situation in the bottom half of the innings, as Danny Gesick doubled to right to lead off the inning. He scored on a ground out RBI by Alexander to make it a 1-0 game after two innings.
In the third inning, the Tigers were retired in order for the first time of the game. Carter continued to sit down the Tiger hitters in order through the sixth.
After the Bears' first 1-2-3 defensive inning, Shawnee State posted a two-spot in the bottom of the third with a two-RBI single by Phillip Butler. Shawnee added four runs in the fifth with an RBI single by Kendall Coleman, a two-RBI double by Gesick and an RBI single by Keim. Campbellsville looked to have thrown out Quentin Everman for the third out of the inning on Gesick's double, but the courtesy runner slid through Rossetto's attempt to block home plate.
Campbellsville kept the Bears silent in the sixth, but gave up one run in the seventh, as Coleman scored on a sac fly to center by Keim.
Other than the second inning, the Tigers' largest threat came in the eighth inning, as
Trent Seamons led off the inning with a single to left and
Gibby Briones was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out.
Luke Gadow popped up and
Danny Lapchak grounded into a fielder's choice though to kill the inning.
The ninth was a similar situation, as
Craig Edwards reached on an error to start the inning but Shawnee once again stranded two Tiger base runners.
Michael McBride recorded the loss after 4 2/3 innings of work, allowing six earned runs off six hits and two walks. Carter recorded the complete game win in the three-hit shutout. He struck out four.
Coleman and Gesick each had three hits to lead Shawnee, while Butler, Gesick and Keim each drove in two runs. The Tigers' hits belonged to Arcoleo, Durham and Seamons.
Campbellsville (32-19) and Shawnee State (34-24) each await the announcement of their NAIA Baseball Tournament Opening Round site, which will be announced on Sunday evening, May 8.
