UTB-TSC Capsules: Scorpions drop title game, but achieve postseason goal

SHREVEPORT, La. - Louisiana State University-Shreveport claimed the 2011 Red River Athletic Conference baseball championship with a 10-1 victory over The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College on Tuesday at Pilots' Field.

The Pilots, who won the regular season championship as well, are likely to be a No. 1 seed in the opening round of the NAIA national championships from May 12 through 16. LSUS, the eighth-ranked team in the NAIA coaches top 25, are 42-13 for the year. The Scorpions (35-24) also received an automatic qualifier for the opening round.

The 45-team field for the opening round will be announced Sunday. UTB-TSC will find out then which of nine sites it will be assigned to play in.

UTB-TSC clinched the berth, its second straight, with a 5-1 win over Northwood earlier Tuesday, led by pitcher Danny Gidora, who threw 151 pitches.

"I'm very pleased with the mental approach going into today," Scorpions coach Bryan Aughney said. "It was all hands on deck for the first game this morning. Danny again came out and did what he does. He left it all on the hill, and gave us a chance to win. Nick made a heck of a play, and then doubled to start a rally for us."

Aughney knows the postseason is clutch time for many of his players.

"Come tournament time, somebody has got to step up," Aughney said. "We knew Danny was going to give us everything he got and give us a good chance to win. Everybody did something to get that W for us."

The Scorpions used four pitchers in the championship game loss to the Pilots, who who their fifth conference title in the past six years. LSUS joined the RRAC in 2010-11 after many years in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

Kevin Chapman went the first four innings, Baylor Bickerton the next three, Adam Vera one and Sam Buchanan the final inning.

The Pilots, who had 14 hits, scored one run in the first, four in the third, two in the fourth and three in the eighth.

The Scorpions will have about a week of rest and practice to get ready for the opening round.

"All weekend, our guys believed in each other, believed in themselves, and believed in the program," Augnhey said. "It's an exciting time to get to the opening round. I look forward to see where we are going and prepare for that.

"I know we have some tired bodies. Peter Maldonado played his rear end off all weekend and is a little banged up. Gus Henggeler did a great job behind the plate. He's banged up and mentally exhausted, too. It was an all-around team effort to get us to where we are at right now. I'm very excited and very pleased and getting after it again next week."

Gidora's pitching gem, Loftis' defense spark Scorpions

SHREVEPORT, La. -  Danny Gidora turned in another strong pitching performance to lead the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College to a 5-1 win over Northwood in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament on Tuesday at Pilots Field.

With the victory, the Scorpions qualify to participate in the opening round of the NAIA national championship for the second straight year. UTB-TSC will find out Sunday which of nine sites the Scorpions will be assigned to for the May 12-16 tournament.

UTB-TSC will play tournament host LSU-Shreveport for the tournament championship at 3:45 p.m. UTB-TSC has lost one tournament game - to the Pilots - while LSUS is unbeaten in the tournament. If the Scorpions win the 3:45 p.m. game, another championship game will be played at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Gidora turned in a workhorse performance. He threw 151 pitches, the most of his collegiate career. He was still throwing hard in the ninth inning, and had the "walkoff" strikeout he wanted, where a pitcher finishes a game with a strikeout.

His numbers were not outstanding, but he battled through every inning. He struck out six and walked five. He allowed only four hits, and the lone run he had was earned.

Gidora, who was named RRAC pitcher of the year in the pretournament banquet Friday, is 12-2. He is tied for the most victories nationally with R.L. Eisenbach of Faulkner University. His earned run average dropped from 1.86 to 1.78.

Gidora got the help of a great defensive play by Scorpions second baseman Nick Loftis in the seventh inning.

With two outs, two runners on base and the Scorpions holding a tight 2-1 lead, Will Fontnow hit a line drive that appeared to go to center field. However, Loftis dove to his right, fully extended, and made a diving catch that ended the Northwood rally.

The catch gave the Scorpions some momentum as well. Loftis led off the Scorpions' half of the eighth inning with a double down the left-field line to start a three-run rally. Jorge Camorlinga followed with a single, and Peter Maldonado and Matt Ginn had run-scoring singles to put the Scorpions on top 5-1.

UTB-TSC had trouble figuring out NU starter Kane Kimrey in the early going. The Scorpions were held without a baserunner during the first three innings before scoring twice in the fourth with the help of two Northwood errors.

The Scorpions finished with seven hits, and Camorlinga was the only player with two hits and only player who scored two runs. Ginn drove in two.