FORT MYERS, Fla. — The premier matchup of the Sun Conference's top two teams from the regular season will happen under different circumstances as expected, as No. 2 seed University of South Carolina Beaufort and top-seeded Embry-Riddle each lost its opening game of the Sun Conference tournament Tuesday, setting up a meeting in an elimination game at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The Sand Sharks, who moved up two spots to No. 13 in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll released Tuesday, appeared to be in the driver's seat to claim their first conference tournament title after watching No. 6 seed SCAD Savannah beat the Eagles 7-1 in the opener. But the day of the underdogs continued when No. 5 seed Warner beat USCB 7-2 in the second game of the day.
USCB had Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year Michael Heesch on the mound — the Sand Sharks had lost only one of Heesch's 14 previous starts this season — but Warner entered as the league's hottest team, having won four of its last five games to slip into the final playoff spot on the final day of the season.
The Royals (29-27) continued their hot streak by jumping on Heesch (8-2) early. Unlike the first meeting, when Heesch shut out Warner on six hits, the Royals scored three runs in the third and added single runs against him in the fifth, sixth and seventh. Warner added another run in the eighth against freshman Junior Delatorre — the first earned run Delatorre has allowed this season.
USCB (35-15) couldn't muster a rally against right-handers Aaron Kehres and James Krupa, who held the Sand Sharks to five hits — all singles. USCB scratched across two runs in the fifth against Kehres (9-3), who allowed four hits and walked four in seven innings, but they got nothing more, as Krupa held them to one hit over the final two innings.
R.J. Neal had two hits to lead USCB's offense, and Dylan Nasiatka went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The No. 13 Sand Sharks will face No. 6 Embry-Riddle in Wednesday's first game at 10 a.m., and the loser will be eliminated. Both teams are assured of bids in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round next week, however, because both have been granted host sites.
