Bison Batter Their Way to Series Win with Doubleheader Sweep

SHAWNEE – After dropping game on of its series with Harding Friday night, the Oklahoma Baptist offense came to life on Saturday, hammering nine home runs and scoring 26 runs to sweep the afternoon doubleheader and capture an important Great American Conference series win.
 
The series against Harding was a special one for OBU, having been called back home from Searcy last year due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time the two teams clashed was in the 2019 GAC Tournament when OBU took down Harding 12-3 to win the conference crown.
 
In game one of Saturday's doubleheader, OBU was able to secure a 13-5 win. The Bison got off to a fast start when Cliff Pradd hit a solo home run on the very first pitch. Harding was able to answer back in the top of the second, but the tie did not last long as OBU put up six unanswered runs over the next three innings. Harding rallied in the top of the sixth to cut the OBU advantage to 7-4. The rally was in vain though, as Chris Cook singled to left field sending Kase Warner home in the bottom of the seventh before Walker Keller posted a grand slam to extend the Bison lead to 12-4. Hector Ruvalcaba put the game away with a solo home run to left field to give the Bison the decisive 13-5 win.
 
In the second game, OBU found itself down 7-1 going into the pivotal bottom of the fourth. Everything seemed to be going Harding's way until Ruvalcaba stepped to the plate and blasted a home run to left center field, providing the needed spark for the Bison offense. After a quick out from Colin Prince and a walk to Cook, Kevin Saenz doubled and sent Cook to third. On the next at-bat, Saenz advanced to third and Cook scored on a wild pitch. This pitching miscue cut the Harding lead down to 7-3. Cade Kissel then posted a single to left field, scoring Saenz.
 
Harding then pulled starting pitcher Ty Hoecker in favor of a fresh Carter McCall. The change in pitcher made no difference for OBU as McCall immediately put Pradd on base. Keller then singled to right field, batting in Kissel, and cutting the Bisons' advantage to two. Up next, Kaimana Bartolome singled to left field, and then immediately advanced to second on a Harding fielding error. This same error also allowed Pradd to make it home and Keller to make it to third. Keller was able to score the game-tying seventh run on a wild pitch.
 
Although the Bisons had blown a six-run advantage, they re-took a slim 8-7 lead in the top of the fifth. Their success, however, was short lived, as Pradd blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth, and Saenz followed Pradd's three-run homer with one of his own in the bottom of the sixth to seal a 13-8 Bison win.
 
Keller had a stellar day, posting a combined five RBIs, three hits, and three home runs over the doubleheader. Pradd also had a strong showing with six RBIs and three home runs, including the grand slam.

Tyler Frank and Caleb Bly earned the wins for the Bison. Bly, in the first game, pitched 5.0 innings, striking out three batters. Frank got his first win of the season as he pitched 3.0 innings in relief, allowing only one run, one hit, and struck out one batter.

OBU is now 10-6 overall and 8-3 in GAC play. The Bison will travel to Russellville, Arkansas, to take on Arkansas Tech for the top spot in the conference with first pitch of the series set for Friday, March 26 at 6 p.m.