Bison Split at Arkansas Tech

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist salvaged a series split, taking the second of two Sunday games at Arkansas Tech.
 
The Wonder Boys won the opener 3-2 before the Bison left town with an 8-1 victory.
 
OBU squandered a strong pitching performance by Jinny Parra in the opener. Parra allowed all three runs, one earned, with five strikeouts. Blake Whitehead pitched a shutout eighth inning.
 
The Bison allowed a run in the first on an error and two hits, but Josh Timms evened the score with a home run to start the second inning.
 
Arkansas Tech scored another unearned run in the third and OBU fell behind 3-1 in the fourth.
 
Hunter heath doubled and scored on an RBI single by Juan Gonzalez in the ninth, but the Bison could not close the gap.
 
OBU had seven hits in the game, including two singles by Brett Berghammer.
 
The Bison started the second game in strong fashion, pushing three runs across in the first inning with an RBI double by Zane Gelphman and a two-run double by Gonzalez.
 
Gonzalez singled in the run in the third for a 4-0 lead and he made it a 5-1 game with an RBI single in the fifth.
 
In the seventh, Timms doubled home Kevin Olmeda and Nick Burnham plated two runs with a single.
 
OBU collected 12 hits, including three by Gozalez and two each by Olmeda, Heath, Gelphman and Burnham.
 
Tyler Gibson (2-2) went the distance, striking out six and allowing one run on seven hits.
 
Now 16-12 overall and 10-8 in the Great American Conference, the Bison travel down the road to St. Gregory's for a 3 p.m. contest Tuesday.