Lions sweep NAIA No. 15 Southern Poly, improve record to .738
Sebastian Fischer
Sports Editor
So far, the 2012 NAIA baseball season is seeing the best Bryan Lions in the college’s history. Never before have the Lions received votes to be ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation and never before has Bryan had a winning record (31-11) that puts them in a position to win the AAC conference championship with one month left to play in regular season.
Tuesday the Lions kept their good form alive as they beat nationally ranked Southern Polytechnic State University (Atlanta, Ga.) 5-4 and 12-0 in a non-conference doubleheader on Senter Field.
“The team this year has more experience [than in the years before],” said senior Doug Stroup, explaining the recent success. “We play as a team and understand how much we need each other in order to be successful… against Southern Poly we just played to the level we know we’re capable of.”
The Hornets came out on top in the first inning, scoring one run in the second and three runs in the third inning. However, Bryan rallied quickly and tied the game in the fifth off a solo home run by junior Tyler Latham. In their final at bat, senior Shane Clawson hit the ball to the deep right center, advancing to second base. Clawson then scored on a batted ball by senior DeWayne Boyd to win the game.
The Lions carried the momentum on to the second half of the doubleheader, not giving the Hornets an opportunity to sting.
Stroup led Bryan’s offense with three RBIs and two hits. He also led the Lions for the day with five RBIs and four hits. Senior Kemonte Keesee dominated the game on the mound, only giving up one hit while holding Southern Poly scoreless.
Stroup said this season’s success will depend on the team’s ability to perform regardless of who the opponent is. Against Southern Poly, ranked 15th in the NAIA, Bryan proved that they’re not afraid of big names.
“We have a good group of guys that love the game and want to see the program succeed, even more so than their individual stats,” he said, confident that his team will continue winning ways.
The Lions play again on Saturday at Cumberland University and resume conference play April 13 at Tennessee Wesleyan College.