NAIA
BASEBALL RECAP

Southern California College let a 5-run lead slip through its hands only to mount a comeback of its own and beat Concordia, 8-7, in an elimination game of the NAIA Far West Sectional in Azusa Thursday afternoon.

Rivera’s 2-out bloop double down the right field line in the eighth inning fell in front of the outstretched arms of Eagle OF Brandon Reimer and scored Greg Schrieber and Kevin Moore to ignite a Southern Cal College rally that tied game at 7-7. The next batter, Ryan Dambach, then lifted another flare in shallow left that avoided the diving Chad Smith, allowing Rivera to come home with the game-winning run.

With the win, SCC improves to 23-22 and advances to play another elimination game tonight at 7 p.m. against the loser of the Azusa Pacific/The Master’s game (3:15 p.m. today). Concordia’s season ends at 21-26.

Concordia appeared to be headed toward an amazing comeback, scoring 7 consecutive runs to overcome an early 5-0 deficit and take a 7-5 lead in the top of the eighth. Seth Meyers’ 10th home run of the season gave the Eagles their first lead of the game at 6-5 with 1 out in the eighth. Four batters later Justin Duke doubled home Ben Kindreich to give the Eagles that 7-5 cushion.

After the Vanguards put 2 on with 1 out in the bottom of the eighth, Concordia dipped into its bullpen and called on Todd Folger, who got his first batter, Vanguard first baseman Eric Booth, to pop out to third. Folger then jumped ahead of Rivera with a first-pitch strike. It was then, though, that Rivera lifted an opposite-field flare behind first base that fell in for the game-tying double.

Rivera, who had come on in relief, then retired 3 consecutive Eagles in the top of the ninth to preserve the SCC. At the plate, Rivera was 3-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs. Bryan Chambers was 1-for-4 with a 3-run homer that put SCC up 4-0 in the second. James Dent then made it back-to-back round trippers with a solo shot, all with 2 outs. In fact, SCC scored 7 of its 8 runs with 2 outs in the inning.