April 4, 2023
Waxahachie, TX – On Tuesday evening at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in Waxahachie, Texas, the No. 23 Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) Lions baseball team faced the No 4 Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS) Pilots in an NAIA baseball top 25 rematch.
Lions Review:
Matthew Hickey, a graduate student, began the contest on the mound for the SAGU Lions. With the LSUS runners, who are notorious for stealing bases, Hickey engaged in a game of cat and mouse. Hickey was particularly attentive to the Pilot's R. Major and T. Burkhart, who lead the NAIA in total stolen bases.
With the bases loaded and only one run allowed, Matthew Hickey's first strikeout of the day enabled SAGU to escape a difficult predicament.
Hayden Mullins took up pitching duties after the Lion's offense put together a scoreless first inning. Hayden Mullins used a scorching hot curveball to strike out the first batter he faced.
Eli Lyons, a SAGU catcher, made an incredible soaring grab in front of the spectators to execute a pivotal defensive play and excite the Lions' home crowd.
Craig Venable sprinted to home plate and grabbed the first SAGU score after Alejandro Garcia singled to center field, and the Lions' first baseman's hit bounced around the field.
The LSUS Pilots put up a solid offensive performance in the sixth and eighth innings to increase their lead and put the SAGU Lions out of contention.
Avery Chatman, James Maddox Henderson, Craig Venable, Timothy Compomizzi, Alejandro Garcia, Nick Mosley, and JV Verdin accounted for seven of the Lions' ultimate seven hits in the contest.
Hayden Mullins and Ryan Avalos lead the pitching unit with three strikeouts each.
PITCHING
Batters faced: Matthew Hickey (7), Hayden Mullins (11), R. Avalos (9), Kaden Kneip (3), Jadon Harper (5), Grant McManus (6), C. Read (2), Trevor Proefrock (2)
HBP: R. Avalos, C. Read
Pitches-Strikes: Matthew Hickey (36-22), Hayden Mullins (35-23), R. Avalos (32-23), Kaden Kneip (8-2), Jadon Harper (15-9), Grant McManus (34-20), C. Read (15-7), Trevor Proefrock (7-4)
Cornacchione's Corner
"We made some costly errors today, and the bats didn't click the way we wanted them to, but we won't hang our hats. LSUS is a formidable opponent and a true contender, so we will use the lessons we've gained from these matches to implement adjustments, sharpen our concentration, and conclude conference play," said SAGU head baseball coach Matt Cornachione.
The Next Step
On Friday, April 7th, Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) will travel to Oklahoma City, OK, to face Oklahoma City University.
As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community. We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service. Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
