ROME, Ga. – Cooper Kuriger posted three hits and Ben Daniel added two hits and two RBIs while David Albert tossed a complete game, helping Rhodes use two big innings in a 12-2 win in seven innings over Berry in the SAA Baseball Championships here Thursday at Advent Health Stadium.
The Lynx (28-13) advance to play Centre in the winner’s bracket on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET while Berry faces Trinity in a loser’s bracket contest at 1:15 p.m. ET.
Berry scored two runs in the first inning but nothing after against Albert, who allowed one earned run on six hits in seven innings. The righthander walked one and struck out one.
Kuriger hit a solo homer in the second inning to tie the contest and the Lynx took the lead for good with five runs in the third, including two-run singles from Sam Reardon and Austin Smith and an RBI single by Brad Larson.
Daniel’s two-run double and a bunt single by Cooper Angilly led to four more runs in the fifth for the Lynx. Myles Kruger’s sacrifice fly in the seventh ended the contest.
Berry starter Cam Welch gave up six runs, two earned, on five hits in 2.2 innings.
Berry struck first in the contest even after a 5-4-3 doubleplay erased the first two batters of the game. Tanaka Mukono was hit with two outs and Jacob Bridges walked before an RBI single to right from Chance Edmonds. Rhodes’ Larson misplayed the ball in rightfield and Bridges never stopped running, beating the relay to the plate for a 2-0 edge after a half inning.
Rhodes got a run back and could have had more in the bottom of the inning, with Larson reaching on a leadoff single before a single to right by Corbin Martens. Daniel’s grounder put runners on the corners and Angilly was hit, loading the bases. Kruger’s long fly ball to leftcenter plated a run, but Brandon Trichell struck out looking to end the inning with Berry still ahead, 2-1.
Kuriger’s solo homer to left, his first of the season and the first one of the tournament by any team, knotted the game at two in the second.
The Lynx broke the game in the third, scoring five unearned runs thanks to an error by the Vikings.
Angilly walked with one out and Kruger’s liner to short was bobbled by Garrett Lang on a possible inning-ending doubleplay. Trichell flied out down the rightfield line in foul territory but both runners tagged up on the play, which was valuable when Reardon followed with a two-run single up the middle.
Kuriger then singled and stole second and Smith plated two more runs with a single to right. Smith stole second and he came across on a single by Larson for a 7-2 lead.
Rhodes added to its advantage in the fifth when Kuriger was hit to leadoff and went to second on Smith’s sacrifice bunt. Larson walked and Martens reached on an infield single, loading the bases. Daniel then doubled to rightcenter, plating two runs, and Angilly’s bunt single scored a run and another came across on an errant throw to first, extending the lead to 11-2.
In the seventh Daniel reached on a bunt single, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on fly balls from Angilly and Kruger.