ROME, Ga. – Centre scored eight runs in the first inning and Ayden Lohr and Aaron Lopez each posted three hits while Lopez drove in three runs in a 9-1 win against Rhodes in a winner’s bracket game in the SAA Baseball Championships here Friday at Advent Health Stadium.
Centre advances to the championship game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET and would need to be beaten twice by one of the remaining teams. Rhodes will play at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday in an elimination contest against either Trinity or Oglethorpe.
The Colonels (30-13) collected five hits with three walks in the first inning, including a two-run single by Lopez and a two-run triple from Lohr. Rhodes starting pitcher Ben Daniel got just one out, giving up eight runs, six earned, on four hits with three walks. Four Lynx relievers allowed one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts over the remaining 8.2 innings.
Centre starter Nolan Asher allowed one run on four hits with three walks in four-plus innings and exited after the first two runners reached in the fifth inning. Tommy Severson (7-0) tossed five hitless and scoreless innings of relief for the win. He did not walk a batter and struck out one.
Ben Prather and Lohr both singled to leadoff the game and Chase Austin walked before Lopez’s two-run single to leftcenter. Evan Weyler walked, loading the bases, and Austin scored on a wild pitch. Baylor Woodall also drew a free pass and Graham Johnson’s grounder to third went off the glove of Brandon Trichell, allowing another run to come across.
Jamison Craig then singled through the left side, plating a run and ending the day for Daniel. With one out Lohr tripled to rightcenter, scoring two more runs for an 8-0 lead after a half inning.
Austin Smith doubled to start the third inning for Rhodes and Corbin Martens doubled over the leftfielder’s head with two outs to plate a run. The Lynx were unable to capitalize on other hard-hit balls in the first five innings because of the much-larger park dimensions and some outstanding defensive plays by the Colonels, including a running catch near the centerfield wall by Lohr and a diving stop and throw to first by third baseman Woodall.
Rhodes pitchers retired the side in order in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings before a walk and a bunt single for the Colonels in the sixth. Lopez, Weyler and Woodall all singled with one out in the seventh, but Johnson lined out and Forrest Day grounded out to short to end the threat.
Centre finally added to its lead in the eighth thanks to a two-out single by Lohr and a walk to Austin. Lopez then blooped a single into short center, plating Lohr and extending the advantage to 9-1.