Mules Send Bison to Elimination Game

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist dropped its first NCAA Region Tournament game Thursday, falling to Central Missouri, 10-2.
 
OBU plays an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. (Central) Friday against the loser of Thursday night's contest between St. Cloud State and Central Oklahoma.
 
The Mules jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Collin Nevil and scored a second on a theft of home by John Fairchild.
 
OBU cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third when Matt Poulin doubled and scored on an RBI single by Garrett McKee.
 
A run-scoring wild pitch put UCM ahead 3-1 and another run scored on a sacrifice fly by Fairchild for a 4-1 OBU deficit.
 
The Mules scored three times in the fourth on an RBI single by Erik Webb and a two-run base hit by Travis Able.
 
The Bison cut into that lead with a run in the sixth when Brett Bloomfield walked, took third on a double by Zane Gelphman and scored on an RBI grounder by Jake Gozzo.
 
Central Missouri scored twice in the home half of the sixth on an RBI single by Able and a sacrifice fly by Nevil. Nevil drove in another run with a fielder's choice in the ninth.
 
Caleb Bly (7-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two.
 
OBU ended up with five hits, including the doubles by Poulin and Gelphman and singles by Juan Gonzalez, Josh Timms and McKee.