MONTGOMERY, Ala.--Senior Stephen Flake pitched a complete game five hit shutout as third seeded Southern Polytechnic State University defeated sixth seed Berry College 3-0 in a first round game at the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament.


Flake (9-3) came into the game with a 2.41 earned run average and threw 101 pitches in the 1 hour and 50 minute affair.  He only allowed five hits and Berry helped Flake as they were thrown out on three stolen base attempts.
 
Southern Tech (41-15) scored single runs in the second, fifth and ninth inning with Josh Grooms scoring twice. Grooms scored the first run as he raced home on a passed ball after leading off the inning with a double and was moved to third on a sacrifice.
 
SPSU's second run in the fifth came on a Joe Billick sacrifice fly, scoring Tyler Evensen who led off the inning with a double and moved on to third base on another sacrifice.  Groms then scored his second run of the game and the team's final run in the top of the ninth on pinch hitter Andrew Morgan's single through the right side of the infield.
 
Berry starter Collin McHugh (6-3) was the hard luck loser.  Like Flake, he only through 102 pitches in the complete game loss.  He only allowed the three runs, with one being unearned while giving up six hits.  He had six strikeouts in the game.
 
SPSU will move on to face Lee University in a winner's bracket game tomorrow at 4 p.m.  Berry (30-24) will face Shorter College in the first elimination game of the tournament tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.