GEORGETOWN, Texas -- At Southwestern's Rockwell Field, redshirt freshman right-hander Nathan Malinovsky hurled a four-hit shutout to clinch Texas Lutheran's first regular-season conference championship in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

TLU, in its third season in the SCAC, defeated Southwestern 1-0 Friday evening to improve to 14-2 in the SCAC. The Bulldogs, ranked 24th in the NCAA Division III, are 24-11 overall.

Southwestern fell to 13-23 overall and to 8-8 in the SCAC.

TLU's victory also assured the fact that the SCAC Tournament will be played at Katt-Isbel Field in Seguin, Texas next weekend. The Bulldogs will be the top seed and will open the tournament against the No. 4 seed.

Malinovsky (8-1) struck out eight and walked two in the complete game. He allowed one double and three singles.

Malinovsky struck out the side in the ninth and did it with the tying run at third base and the potential winning run at the plate.

Colby Schrade delivered the one RBI that Malinovsky and the Bulldogs needed. He singled in the fourth to drive home Alejandro Gutierrez, who led off the frame with a single.

The Bulldogs only managed five hits, and no Bulldog had more than one.

TLU and Southwestern continue the SCAC three-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Georgetown.