SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. - Pitcher Drew Greiwe tossed a four-hit shutout, leading top-seed Central Methodist to a 6-0 win over six-seed Benedictine (Kan.) at Phil Welch Stadium in the first game Wednesday morning of the 2013 Heart of America Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Series Spring Classic.

Central Methodist (24-11) improves to 4-2 in the Spring Classic in the last two seasons.

Greiwe (9-0), the reigning HAAC Pitcher of the Week, hurled his second straight nine-inning game, as all Spring Classic contests are scheduled for nine. The Macon, Mo., native struck out seven and scattered four hits.

Central Methodist's bats came alive early with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mike Wagner started the charge with a double to right and later scored the game's first run on a double steal. Three batters later, T.J. Singh doubled down the left field line, plating Shane Lowe. Jesse Zellner also scored on the play when Benedictine's (18-22) Brenden Watamamiuk misplayed a grounder.

The Eagles added to their lead with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. Kyle Poynter scored on a Daniel Peters' sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Wagner followed up with a RBI single to right, scoring Mike Allen from second.

Peters, Wagner and Neal DeMartin each had two hits.


With seven strikeouts Wednesday morning, Greiwe is nine away from breaking the Central Methodist season record he shares with Freddie Cabrera, who first posted 78 in 2011. Greiwe also has 148 career strikeouts, two behind Todd Anderson (1994-97) and Caleb Cooley (2004-05) for third place all-time.

The Eagles play Wednesday night at 8 p.m. against the loser of No. 3 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)/No. 4 Evangel (Kan.).