CMU VS. AVILA PHOTO GALLERY
OZARK, Mo. – Beating a team for the fifth straight time in a season is no easy chore. But for the Central Methodist University baseball team, the challenge was accomplished here at U.S. Baseball Park Friday evening with a combination of gut-wrenching pitching, tough defense and some timely hitting as No. 2-seed CMU opened the Heart of American Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament with a 6-0 blanking of No. 7-seed Avila University.

Central Methodist captured its 40th victory of the year, improving to 40-13 on the season. The Eagles will advance in the winners' bracket and take on No. 6 MidAmerica Nazarene University (31-18), who knocked off No. 3 Benedictine College (33-21), 10-3 Friday night. Avila (30-24) dropped to the losers' bracket and will face Benedictine at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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SATURDAY, MAY 6
Central Methodist vs. MidAmerica Nazarene, 7 p.m.
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In other second round games on Friday, No. 1 Clarke University (43-10) defeated No. 8 Culver-Stockton College (27-28), 7-3, and No. 5 Grand View University (29-21) outgunned No. 4 Peru State College (32-19), 13-6.

Central Methodist hurler Dariel Checo (SO/New York, NY) (8-1) produced the hard-earned victory on the mound, working 7.2 innings, while allowing no runs on six hits, with eight strikeouts and three walks. Chris Danielson (SR/Saugus, Calif.) came out of the CMU bullpen in relief and did not allow a hit in 1.1 innings. He struck out one.

"It was an outstanding job by everybody today," said CMU head coach Nate Breland after the contest. "The key when you get up here in this tournament (for pitchers) is filling up the (strike) zone, not walking guys and eliminating free bases. I thought both of our pitchers did a tremendous job of that. Checo put on a gut-wrenching performance to lead us off. They both did a terrific job of setting the tone and we figured out how to piece runs in."

Despite the 6-0 victory, it wasn't as lopsided at times as the final score indicated. Twice during the game – in the fifth and eighth innings – Avila loaded the bases with one out. But each time CMU fought its way back and got out of the jam. Checo got the job done in the fifth and Checo and Danielson got the job done in the eighth, with some help from the CMU defense.

"In situations like that you've just got to stay calm," Breland explained. "I think we had a five-run lead by that time and we had to start collecting outs. If a run scores, so what; we're still up 5-1. We just have to keep making them go station to station and we got some good pitching in there and one or two big defensive plays and got out of it."

Central Methodist outhit Avila 10-6 in the game. Jared Johnson (JR/DeKalb, Ill.) was one of three CMU players with a pair of hits in the game. He went 2-for-4, with a double and a pair of runs scored. Quinn Conley (SR/Thousand Oaks, Calif.) drove in three runs and finished 2-for-4, while DeAndre Smith (JR/Fresno, Calif.) doubled and finished 2-for-4.

Dustyn Macaluso (SR/Sacramento, Calif.) doubled in four at-bats, driving in a run and scored another. Zach Beckner (SR/Versailles, Kent.) doubled, walked, pushed in a run and finished 1-for-3. Andrew Thomas (JR/Parker, Colo.) went 1-for-4 and scored a run and Brandon Alcala (JR/Alameda, Calif.) plated and finished with a single.

"We left a lot of guys on base today and didn't execute on offense like I hoped we would," Breland continued. "But in the first round you'll take a win, especially when you're a higher seed and the underdogs are gunning for you. You move on and now we have plenty of time to rest until our seven o'clock game (Saturday)."

Tyler Burrow (4-5) was the losing hurler for Avila. In seven innings he gave up five runs on eight hits, with nine strikeouts and a pair of walks. Six different AU players produced singles in the game.

Central Methodist broke on top 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning. Thomas scored on a on a double by Macaluso and Johnson and Macaluso crossed the plate on a single by Conley.

CMU added an insurance run in the fifth after holding Avila with the bases loaded in the top of the frame. Johnson plated on Beckner's double to create a 4-0 score.

Alcala plated in the seventh when Conley's single to boost the lead to 5-0. In the eighth inning Patrick Norris (JR/Greenwood, Ind.), who was pinch running for Smith after his double, stole third and scored on a wild pitch for the final run.

HEART OF AMERICA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
2017 POSTSEASON BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
at US Baseball Park, Ozark, Mo.
PLAY-IN ROUND
Thursday, May 4
Culver-Stockton College 14, Evangel University 13
Avila University 11, Graceland University 7
SECOND ROUND
Friday, May 5
GM 1: #1 Clarke University 7, #8 Culver-Stockton College 3
GM 2: #5 Grand View University 13, #4 Peru State College 6
GM 3: #2 Central Methodist University 6, #7 Avila University 0
GM 4: #6 MidAmerica Nazarene University 10, #3 Benedictine College 3
THIRD ROUND
Saturday, May 6
GM 5: #8 Culver-Stockton College (27-28) vs. #4 Peru State College, 10 a.m. (elimination game)
GM 6: #7 Avila University (30-24) vs. #3 Benedictine College (33-21), 1 p.m. (elimination game)
GM 7: #1 Clarke University (43-10) vs. #5 Grand View University (29-21), 4 p.m.
GM 8: #2 Central Methodist University (40-13) vs. #6 MidAmerica Nazarene University (31-18), 7 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, May 7
GM 9: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7, 10 a.m. (elimination game)
GM 10: Loser of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 5, 1 p.m. (elimination game)
GM 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 4 p.m.
GM 12: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 9, 7 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1
Monday, May 8
GM 13: Loser of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game12, 1 p.m.
GM 14: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 13, 4 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 (if necessary)
Tuesday, May 9
GM 15: If necessary, 1 p.m.

CMU Baseball Contact: John Krueger
Phone: 936-332-9332 | jkrueger@centralmethodist.edu
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