Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The No. 17-ranked IU Southeast baseball team defeated Olivet Nazarene 22-4 behind an offensive attack that tied multiple NAIA records in the first game of the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round on Monday.
IU Southeast (40-13) tied the NAIA Opening Round single-game record with four combined home runs and Marco Romero tied the NAIA single-game Opening Round record with three home runs in the rout.
The Grenadiers led 11-1 after three innings. In the bottom of the first, Clay Woeste singled and scored on a RBI double by Trevor Campbell. Marco Romero hit a two-run home run to right-center to extend the lead to 3-0.
In the second inning, the Tigers answered with a home run but the Grenadiers added on three runs in the bottom of the frame and two outs. Daunte DeCello and Campbell both reached base on errors and a double by Brody Tanksley drove in DeCello. A two-run single by Ben Berenda followed to cap off the rally.
Starter Lane Oesterling retired the side in order in the top of the third and the Grenadiers blew the game open in the bottom of the inning with another two-out rally.
Brandon Boxer singled and two batters later, so did Woeste. Trevor Campbell drove in both with a single.
Brodty Tanksley followed with a home run to center, his 15th and Romero went back-to-back with a solo home run.
Oesterling got a double play and stranded two runners in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the frame, Woeste knocked in MacDonald with a single and a sacrifice fly by Campbell drove in DeCello.
IU Southeast added eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. Marco Romero led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored on an error as Berenda reached. Berenda later scored on an error.
Daunte DeCello drove in Boxer with a single and Trevor MacDonald scored from third as DeCello stole second. Brody Tanksley drove in DeCello on a fielder's choice.
Marco Romero capped off the rally with a three-run home run, his seventh of the year, to extend the lead to 21-3.
Lane Oesterling worked five innings and allowed three runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out four to earn the win.
The trio of Grenadier relievers (Chase Rudy, Zach Gutermuth and Conner Burnett) allowed just one run on one hit in the final four innings of work.
IU Southeast recorded 23 hits, five shy of the postseason record. Clay Woeste and Marco Romero each had four hits and Romero drove in six while Campbell and Tanksley each drove in four. Ben Berenda had two hits and knocked in three.
IU Southeast will face the winner of host Westmont College and Antelope Valley Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
