The Lindenwood Lions came back from four runs down on Sunday, to win their first GLVC Baseball Championship. (Photo courtesy Lindenwood Athletics)
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The Lindenwood University men’s baseball team pulled off one of the most thrilling wins in program history Sunday afternoon, when it rallied from three runs down in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars, 8-6, and win its first ever Great Lakes Valley Conference championship.
The Lions battled from behind the entire game, as Illinois-Springfield jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Prairie Stars then extended that lead to 4-0 when All-American slugger Chris Monroe bashed a solo home run in the top of the third.
Lindenwood began its rally with a run of its own in the bottom of the third and two more in the bottom of the fourth to cut the score to 4-3.
But after Illinois-Springfield added two more in the top of the eighth, Lindenwood broke out the thrills and chills, with three hits, two walks, a hit batter, a stolen base, and a heart-stopping play at the plate that produced five runs and gave the Lions their first lead of the game.
It began simple enough, with first baseman Jayce Maag getting hit by a pitch. Catcher Austin Schmitt followed with a full-count walk, and pinch hitter Mitchell Krebs followed that with a line-drive single that loaded the bases. Leadoff man Will Lanxon walked to drive in a Maag and Beau Collier followed with a single to right center that drove in Schmitt and Krebs to tie the score.
Lanxon advanced all the way to third on Collier’s hit and that proved to be a key play, as the next batter, Kolby Schulte sent a high fly ball into right for an out. But the ball was just deep enough for the speedy freshman Lanxon to test the arm of UIS’s Austin Alderman and try to score.
Initially, the umpires ruled Alderman’s throw got there in time and Lanxon was out. But after Lindenwood challenged the call and asked the umpires to check the video replay, it was determined that Lanxon had reached home plate first and that he was indeed safe to give the Lions a 7-6 lead.
Cleanup man Bryce Beckmann came to the plate next and laced a single to center that scored Collier to give Lindenwood an 8-6 lead.
Senior lefty Justin Taylor (4-0) got the final five outs to pick up the win for Lindenwood, which after joining the GLVC just two seasons ago, has already won its first conference title.
And with the season record of 33-7, the Lions will now wait for the NCAA to announce the entire field for the NCAA regionals and national tournament. Lindenwood assured itself an automatic bid into the national tournament and is now just waiting to find out who they will play in two weeks.
Lindenwood is also expected to be announced as one of the nation’s regional tournament hosts, which means the Lions will get to play its first national tournament games at the Lou Brock Sports Complex. Those games are supposed to be played May 27-30, but the official schedule won’t be announced by the NCAA until May 23.