The Southwestern Christian University baseball team put together an impressive run at the NCCAA Central Region Tournament in Ozark, Missouri, showcasing explosive offense, clutch hitting, and resilient pitching across five tournament games.
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Game 1: SCU Defeats Champion Christian 10-5
Southwestern Christian University opened NCCAA Central Region Tournament play with a strong offensive showing in a 10-5 victory over Champion Christian College on May 6 in Ozark, Missouri.
After falling behind 1-0 in the second inning, the Eagles responded immediately with three runs in the bottom half. Braden Browning delivered the biggest swing early with a three-run triple that scored Dominic Ornelas, Elvis Rojas, and Phoenix Nelson to put SCU ahead 3-1.
SCU continued to add on throughout the game. Dominic Ornelas ripped a three-run double in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 7-2, while Royce Florenzano and Browning added RBIs later in the contest. Browning finished an outstanding 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a triple, while Ornelas collected three RBIs of his own. Phoenix Nelson added two hits and scored twice.
On the mound, Anderson Paredes dominated for six innings, striking out 10 batters while allowing four runs to earn the win. Jacob Hogan closed out the final inning as SCU improved to 1-0 in tournament play.
Game 2: Eagles Outlast Dallas Christian 11-8
SCU continued its winning streak on May 7 with an 11-8 victory over Dallas Christian College in a high-scoring battle.
The Eagles scored early when Royce Florenzano delivered an RBI single in the first inning. After Dallas Christian tied the game, SCU regained control with a massive six-run fifth inning. Florenzano drove in two runs with a single, Elvis Rojas added a two-run hit, and Braden Browning brought home another run during the rally.
Phoenix Nelson turned in a perfect day at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Florenzano finished with three RBIs, while Rojas scored three times and drove in two runs.
Dallas Christian stormed back with six runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at 8-8, but SCU answered immediately with three runs in the seventh. Jake Reed earned the win in relief, and Braden Tucker secured the save to preserve the Eagles' second tournament victory.
Game 3: Late Rally Sends SCU to 6-4 Loss Against College of the Ozarks
In the winners bracket matchup on May 8, SCU battled College of the Ozarks in a tightly contested game before falling 6-4.
The Eagles struck first in the opening inning when Royce Florenzano doubled home Eliam Dudamel for a 1-0 lead. After the Bobcats tied the game in the fourth inning, SCU responded with three runs in the bottom half. Phoenix Nelson and Braden Browning each drove in runs with singles, while Nate Anderson added a sacrifice fly to give SCU a 4-1 advantage.
College of the Ozarks chipped away with two runs in the fifth before breaking through in the seventh inning with three more runs to take the lead for good. Jackson Robertson pitched 6.1 innings and kept the Eagles in control for much of the afternoon before the late rally.
Florenzano finished with two hits and an RBI, while SCU collected eight total hits in the loss.
Game 4: SCU Shuts Out Arlington Baptist 7-0
Facing elimination later that evening, the Eagles responded with one of their best performances of the tournament in a dominant 7-0 win over Arlington Baptist University.
SCU broke the game open in the second inning with six runs. Elvis Rojas drove in the first run after reaching on an error, Braden Browning added an RBI after being hit by a pitch, and Dario Paredes delivered the biggest hit of the inning with a two-run double. Nate Anderson also drove in a run during the rally.
Mozart Duarte was outstanding on the mound, throwing a complete-game one-hit shutout while striking out seven batters. Arlington Baptist managed just one hit all game as Duarte consistently worked out of trouble and controlled the pace from start to finish.
SCU added another run in the sixth inning and cruised to the victory to keep its tournament run alive.
Game 5: Tournament Run Ends Against College of the Ozarks
SCU's tournament journey concluded on May 9 with a 14-4 loss in a rematch against College of the Ozarks.
The Eagles started strong, scoring in the first inning after Royce Florenzano reached on an error that allowed Nate Anderson to score. SCU remained within striking distance throughout the middle innings, cutting the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Eliam Dudamel.
In the seventh inning, the Eagles again showed fight when Nate Anderson doubled and later scored, while Dario Paredes added an RBI groundout to make it 8-4. However, College of the Ozarks answered with a big late offensive surge to secure the win.
Nate Anderson, Eliam Dudamel, Royce Florenzano, and Bryan Melo each recorded multiple hits for SCU. Despite the season-ending loss, the Eagles finished the NCCAA Central Region Tournament with three victories and several strong individual performances throughout the week.
