Olivet Nazarene wins 2021 CCAC baseball postseason tourney championship

by | May 13, 2021 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

JOLIET, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team faced the Cougars of Saint Xavier in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament Championship on Wednesday night at the DuPage Medical Group Field.  This would mark the sixth game between these two schools this season.

 

The Cougars jumped on Tiger pitching early, in the first inning and gave up a two-run homer to right field.  The Tigers came back with a run in the second on an RBI single by Kai Hudson (SO/St. Petersburg, Fla.) making the score 2-1.  The Cougars then answered back on an RBI groundout in the bottom half of the inning growing their lead to 3-1.  The Tigers got a run back in the third inning on an RBI single by Alex Ortiz (FR/Ponte Vendra Beach, Fla.) platting Terry Daniels (SR/Auburn, N.Y.).  The Cougars still led 3-2.

 

In the fourth, the Tigers took the lead.  After the Tigers put runners on first and second, Ryan Russman (SO/Wheaton, Ill.) singled home Hudson tying the game at three.  After Daniels walked, Jacob Bulthuis (SR/Tinley Park, Ill.) reached on a fielder’s choice platting Timo Schau (SR/Chicago, Ill.) and took a 4-3 lead. Tyler Wheeler (JR/Graham, Wash.) then lined a pitch into centerfield and drove in Russman.  Ortiz then singled home Daniels later in the inning to make the score 6-3.

 

That lead was short lived as the Cougars pounced on Tiger pitching striking for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as the score stood at six all.  The Tigers then retook the lead in the top of the eighth inning on a two-run single by Moonen making the score 8-6.

 

After Clay Houchin (SO/Kiln, Miss.) came in in the fifth, Aren Gustafson (JR/Rockton, Ill.) came in in the sixth inning and struck out six batters and surrendered no runs on no hits as the Tigers won the CCAC Tournament Championship winning 8-6.

 

Game Vitals

Final: Olivet Nazarene 8 | Saint Xavier 6

Records: Olivet Nazarene 36-18 | Saint Xavier 32-25

Location: DuPage Medical Group Field | University of St. Francis | Joliet, Ill.

 

Quick Hits

  • Ortiz and Moonen each had two runs driven in.
  • Ortiz had the lone extra base hit which was a double.
  • Daniels, Bulthuis, Ortiz, and Hudson all had three hits apiece.

 

What’s Next?

The Tigers await their destination for the Opening Round of the NAIA Baseball World Series.  The selection show is set for Thursday, May 13 at 4 p.m. CST.