Faulkner eliminates Vanguard

BASEBALL

Faulkner 5, Vanguard 3

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The No. 13-ranked Lions turned a 1-0 deficit into 3-1 lead, but couldn’t hold on in the championship game of the NAIA Opening Round Tournament on Friday at Faulkner University.

Senior shortstop Jose Rojas hit a two-run home run and junior third baseman Trai Patrick followed with a solo blast to give Vanguard (40-17-1) the lead in the top of the fourth inning.

But No. 3-ranked Faulkner (49-13), which won two of three games from the Lions in the five-team, double-elimination format, hit a pair of home runs of its own in the fifth to regain a lead it would not relinquish.

The victory propelled Faulkner to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Both Vanguard and Faulkner were World Series participants a year ago.

Patrick was two for four, as was junior left fielder Brandon Sandoval, while senior center fielder Paul Keating was one for four and scored a run for Coach Rob Pegg’s Lions.

Senior ace Sean Isaac, who won the tournament opener on Tuesday, took the loss. He went seven innings and allowed five hits and four runs (all earned). He walked three and struck out nine. Isaac, the Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, finished 14-3 and won 24 games in his two seasons at Vanguard, after transferring from El Camino College.

Rojas, the GSAC Player of the Year, finished with 12 home runs and 57 runs batted in, matching the totals he posted as a junior, after transferring from Fullerton Community College.