Box Score
SEGUIN, Texas -- Eighth-ranked Mississippi College Choctaws overcame a one-run deficit in the eighth inning and broke through for four runs in the 10th inning of a 9-5 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament victory over Texas Lutheran.
Friday at TLU's Katt-Isbel Field, the Choctaws scored the four runs in the 10th on two hits and two Bulldog fielding errors.
The four-run rally made a winner out of Choctaw reliever Daniel Cowart, who pitched 5-2/3 innings and struck out 10. Cowart (2-1) allowed only three hits and did not surrender a run.
MC (35-7) advances in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination championship round to face ASC East Division rival University of Texas at Tyler, a 5-4 winner earlier on Friday against Hardin-Simmons. MC and Texas-Tyler (33-10) face-off at 1 p.m. Saturday.
TLU (31-12) will play an elimination game at 10 a.m. Saturday against Hardin-Simmons (23-20).
The Choctaws led 4-1 after three innings with a two-run double from Bo Bell, an RBI single from Chase Herrin and a sacrifice fly from Dakota Bodree.
TLU rallied to take a 5-4 lead with a four-run fifth. TLU senior Ryan Nokelby became the ASC's all-time hits leader, at 268, with a two-RBI single in the inning. Darwin Lucero and Cody Miller added RBI in the inning on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively.
MC escaped the bottom of the fifth without further damage by turning a 6-4-3 ground-ball double play to end the frame.
TLU held the 5-4 lead until the top of the eighth when Herrin scored on bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. TLU starter Brad Orosey hit Brannon Walls to bring home Herrin.
Herrin was 4-for-6 on the day with three runs scored and an RBI. Bell added three hits and two RBI.
Lucero was the only Bulldog with more than one hit. The junior right-fielder had two hits and an RBI.
Tom Hembree (2-4) took the loss for the Bulldogs. The senior closer pitched two innings and allowed four runs (two earned).
Orosey struck out six and allowed five earned runs in 7-2/3 innings. MC ace Tyler Seaman went 4-1/3 innings and allowed five runs (four earned).