AUM Wins Region XIII Championship

Montgomery, Ala.—The last time AUM won the NAIA Regional Championship was in 1992, that was also the last time AUM has been to the NAIA College World Series.  There is a chance for that to happen again, although 14 years later, as AUM defeated LSU-Shreveport 6-1 to win the NAIA Region XIII Championship.

Just two days after picking up a loss against Lee University in the second game of the tournament for AUM, Jarod Cook pitched 5.2 innings allowing eight hits and one run in leading AUM to the win.  He kept the LSUS hitters off stride most of the game as he had several pop fly outs.

Timmy Morgan came in to relieve Cook in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and two outs.  He enticed pinch hitter Marcus Calhoun into a routine ground ball force out at third base to end the threat.  He then went and finished the game only allowing two hits in the final 3.1 innings of the game.

The Senators out hit LSUS 15-10, with Junior Kelly, Britt Clayton and Michael Herndon all having three hits.  Cortez Pearson also kept up his torrid pace at the plate collecting two hits in four at bats.  Yesterday Pearson had eight hits in nine at bats during the two AUM wins, so over the past three games, he was 10 for 13 at the plate.

AUM had trouble with LSUS All-Region player Dusty Maddox the whole game.  He led LSUS with three hits, including a solo home run in the first inning to give LSUS an early 1-0 lead.  It would be there only run and lead of the game.

It was one of those games where both teams were gutting out some plays and AUM was able to muster single runs in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings, and two runs in the fourth to slowly pull away in the game.

With the win, Cook ran his record to 10-3 on the season and Tyler Lewis fell to 2-7.  LSUS finishes their season at 38-23, while the Senators moved to 46-16.  AUM will travel to Daytona Beach next week for their next adventure hopefully on their way to the NAIA World Series.  They will play at Emory-Riddle in the Super Region which will consist of a best two out of three series.  The winner will automatically go to the World Series and the loser must sit and wait to see if they will receive an automatic bid.

-AUM-