CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Baseball won its opening round game against fifth-seeded Campbellsville, 3-2, behind a complete game effort from MSC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Derek Moore. Fellow first-team All-MSC honoree Todd Queener scored all three runs for Shawnee State offensively in the victory. The Bears (32-24) have now won three of their four MSC Tournament Opening Round games since joining the conference in 2011.
With Sunday's win, Shawnee State will now play top-seeded Georgetown Monday morning at 11 a.m. EST. Starting with that game, the remainder of the MSC Tournament will be played at Lindsey Wilson College, making the start time 10 a.m. in the central time zone where the game will be played.
Shawnee State got on the board right away as Campbellsville starter TR Dunne walked Todd Queener to start the game, allowed a single to Ryan Queener, and loaded the bases with a walk to Daniel Katayama. Not wasting any time, the Tigers went to the bullpen and Alex Watson. Watson got the next SSU hitter to go down swinging, but an RBI groundout to second base from Nolan West pushed the first run across.
The top of the order once again started things offensively in the third inning for Shawnee State. Todd Queener started the inning off with a double over the centerfielder's head. He then came around to score on a one-out RBI single from Katayama to make the score 2-0.
Moore allowed just one hit over his first three innings of work; however, two early errors would leave Campbellsville with a runner stranded in each of the first three innings. The Tigers finally broke through in the fourth. A leadoff double was nearly erased after a strong throw back to the infield from Ryan Queener. However, that runner would be ruled safe before a sacrifice bunt and RBI groundout cut the SSU lead to 2-1.
The Bears added their final insurance run of the game in top of the seventh. Todd Queener, who finished 2-for-4 with a walk, started off the inning with a single back through the middle and was bunted into scoring position by Ryan Queener. Mason Wisner, who came on defensively in the bottom of the fifth, singled through the hole at short to score Queener and give the Bears a 3-1 lead.
Campbellsville cut the lead back down to a single run advantage in the top of the seventh with an unearned run. After a one-out single, an infield error put runners on the corners with one out. A sacrifice fly would score than run before Moore got a fly ball to centerfield to escape the inning.
Campbellsville also threatened in the eighth as a leadoff single and one-out single put runners on first and second. On a ground ball up the middle, the Bears were able to get a force at second before Moore escaped that inning as Brady Hightchew saved the game-tying run on a diving catch on a humpback liner that looked to be headed for right field.
In the ninth, the Tigers got a one-out single, but Moore got the first and third outs of the innings on ground balls to short. He would take the middle out himself on a strikeout looking en route to the win. His eighth complete game of the season tied him for the second most in a single season with Andrew Carter (2011). He improved to 10-2 with the win. His 10th win of the season is third-most in a single season at Shawnee State. Moore also now has 114 innings pitched on the year, breaking Austin Dunfee's single season mark of 108.1 innings in 2012.
For the game, Moore scattered seven hits with just one of his two runs being earned. Watson also went nine innings in the losing effort as he allowed just seven hits as well, plus two earned runs. Shawnee State finished with eight hits for the game.
The Bears will now face Georgetown, who advanced with an 11-1 win over the University of the Cumberlands. Second-seeded Cumberland advanced with a 10-7 winner over Lindsey Wilson, while No. 3 St. Catharine was a 12-2 winner over Bluefield in other opening round action.
