SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist cruised in the opener over No. 9 (NCBWA) Southern Arkansas by a 12-3 count before the Muleriders came back to win 7-4 during the second game of the doubleheader at Bobby Cox Field at Ford Park.
GAME ONE
Dan Pruitt tied an OBU Division II single-game record with five hits as the green and gold coasted on Good Friday. He hit a pair of two-RBI homers and scored a total of five runs to help lead the Bison.
On the mound,
Bo Dallas had a season high of 12 strikeouts, pitching eight frames and only conceding three runs.
SAU started out strong with a two-run home run from Brett McGee. But the green and gold shut them down after that, with two strikeouts by Dallas and a pop out to shortstop
Jose Parga.
The Bison returned in the home half and posted four straight singles with
Isiah Lissade and
Walker Keller scoring to tie it up 2-2. Pruitt notched one of those RBI singles and later scored on a wild pitch to put OBU up 3-2.
After three Dallas strikeouts in the third, OBU extended its lead. In the home half, Pruitt had his second single and was sent home after an
Alex Schroeder homer, widening the Bison's lead to 5-2.
The fifth inning turned out to be an intense one as SAU got three runners on base. However, Dallas threw his seventh and eighth strikeouts to end the threat and keep OBU in front.
A half inning later, OBU closed the door. Pruitt hit his 18th homer of the year which followed a Keller double to right. That made the count 7-2. A few sequences later, Trey Furry singled up the middle and plated
Kade Self.
There would be no rally for SAU after that, as it scored just one more run the rest of the way.
Pruitt would add another homer, this one another two-run shot in the sixth, which extended the Bison lead to 10-3.
For good measure,
Sam Gamboa came in relief during the ninth and retired every batter he faced.
GAME TWO
Jake Hamilton was outstanding through four innings in the second contest.
He struck out 10 and allowed just a single run and hit. His counterpart, SAU's Jeremy Adorno, was just a good. Adorno, who has the second-most strikeouts (101) in D2, added seven in those first four frames.
Early on though, the Bison were in good shape to take an early lead after first-inning infield hits from Lissade and Parga. However, Adorno and the Muleriders' defense would get a couple strikeouts and a runner caught stealing to end the danger.
It wasn't until the third that the scoreboard changed. In the top half, A Jackson Duke walk followed by a two-out double from McGee gave the Muleriders a 1-0 lead.
A couple innings later, SAU got some much-needed run support. And it came with some pitching struggles. Four straight walks were issued, the last of which to McGee drove in Duke. Tucker Burton then provided the highlight of the inning with a two-run single to right.
Heading to the bottom of the fifth, it was 6-0 SAU.
The Bison did come back a bit in their next at-bats.
Cade Kissel doubled down the right-field line scoring Furrey before Lissade drove home Kissel with a single up the middle. Down 6-2, OBU added another run Pruitt connected with an RBI single.
A couple innings later, and down 7-3, OBU found itself with the tying run at the plate. Following Pruitt's double that scored Lissade, Schroeder came to the plate. The Bison's designated hitter saw six pitches from Adorno, however, the last pitch was a third strike. Adorno then got a pop out to end the game.
Tomorrow's rubber game will start at 12 p.m.
