Baseball

(Story courtesy Hendrix College)

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Rhodes College junior right-hander Austin Carden fired a complete-game and finished with five shutout innings to hand Hendrix College a 5-4 loss in the opening game of the 2011 SCAC Tournament on Thursday afternoon at USA Stadium. Box Score | Official Site

Carden held Hendrix to just two hits in the last five innings and retired 10 consecutive batters over the last four frames. He improved to 4-6 on the season and allowed eight hits, seven strikeouts and no free passes.

Hendrix first year right-hander Will Harris started on the bump and had a solid appearance, despite a five-run rally for Rhodes in the third. Harris sent the first six batters he saw back to the dugout including two strikeouts in the second. He was replaced with one out in the seventh and fell to 1-4 on the year after allowing just six hits, four walks, and three strikeouts.

Hendrix reached the scoreboard first with a three-run rally in the second frame. First year Jacob Perschke and junior Andrew Thames got things started with back-to-back leadoff singles and junior Kyle Raskin loaded the bases on a bunt down the third base line.

First year Nick Richardson drove in Perschke with a single to left field before junior Aaron Bowen tagged a sac fly to score Thames. Junior Clark Sims pressured the defense with his speed and a throwing error by the shortstop scored Raskin.

Rhodes (22-17) stole the advantage with a five-run spree in the third, highlighted by a two-run homer to left field from sophomore Lynden Pindling. Prior to the homer, junior Matt Gilbert hit a one-run double and senior Andy Meier collected two runs on a base knock to left field.

The Warriors made it a one-run ball game in the fourth when Raskin clobbered his third triple of the year over the left fielder’s head. Richardson sent his second run across the plate with a grounder through the right side to score Raskin and make it a 5-4 contest.

Raskin finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Richardson went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Thames gunned down two runners from behind the plate. Thames and Perschke were both 1-for-4 win one run scored.

Hendrix falls to 15-20 on the year and 32-44 all-time against Rhodes. The Lynx own a 1-1 record against the Warriors in 2011 as Rhodes took a 5-4 decision in the last match-up on March 24.

The Warriors will now play the opening game on Thursday at 12 p.m. CT against the loser of #2W-Millsaps College (24-16) and #2E-DePauw University (15-18).

After the game, SCAC Correspondent James Hill caught up with both coaches along with winning pitcher Austin Carden of Rhodes.

Rhodes will play the winner of the Millsaps vs. DePauw game in the second game Thursday at 3:30 p.m. CT.

To listen to Hendrix head coach R.J. Thomas, click here.

To listen to Rhodes junior Austin Carden, click here.

To listen to Rhodes head coach Jeff Cleanthes, click here.