The No. 5 seeded Bryan College baseball team competed against the No. 6 seeded Point University Thursday evening in the AAC Tournament Championship and defeated them by a final score of 5-4 to win the AAC Championship for the first time in the programs history. Kevin Roberts was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Kenny Knudsen, Cody Rhinehart, LJ Rowden, and Crandon Wallace made the All-Tournament Team.
Point struck first, scoring a run in the fourth inning. Bryan scored two runs in the bottom of the inning and two more in the fifth inning to take control. In the ninth inning, the SkyHawks scored three run to tie the game. Joey Underwood doubled deep down the left field line to start the Lions' offense in the ninth. Kevin Roberts laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Underwood to third. Tyler Latham and Preston King were intentionally walked. Grant Zawadzki then singled up the middle to score Underwood and give the Lions the 5-4 victory.
Grant Zawadzki led the offense with three runs batted in and two hits. Cody Rhinehart finished with two RBIs and one hit. Tyler Latham, Kevin Roberts, and Joey Underwood had two hits apiece. Roberts and Underwood scored one run each. Justin Morhardt and Crandon Wallace added one hit apiece. John Cain scored two runs, and Preston King scored one.
Kenny Knudsen started on the mound for the Lions. He gave up four runs, three earned, and seven hits in eight and two-thirds innings of work. John Cain pitched the final one-third of an inning. He gave up two hits. Cain received the win.
The baseball team is now 33-26 on the season. They play again May12-15 in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The location and opponents will be announced tomorrow evening.