SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist (29-21, 15-14 GAC) ripped off 20 hits to earn its second Great American Conference Tournament berth in program history on Friday night, defeating Arkansas-Monticello (17-28, 11-17 GAC) 3-2 and 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead to start the weekend.
The Bison break a four-game losing streak to UAM, having not won a game versus the Blossoms since 2019.
It was fireworks from the start tonight, as both games saw electric opening innings. OBU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in game one before erupting for three runs in the bottom half of the first in the second contest. The Bison solidified game one's win with a walk-off single and clinched the series victory at the top of the seventh.
Additionally, the pitching staff of Aspen Younce and Kayleigh Jones took care of business. Jones pitched a complete game in the inaugural match, striking out nine and surrendering two runs. Then, she stepped in for 1.1 innings in game two to tally a few more strikeouts en route to her fourth save of the season.
In Friday's finale, Younce graced the circle for her 20th start of the year. The senior struck out nine and allowed three runs in 5.2 innings of work.
Sophomore Reagan Ford registered a team-high five hits in seven at-bats at the plate. In game one, Ford went 3-4 before finishing 2-3 in the second at the two-hole.
Adi Reese tallied the lone home run of the day, her fifth of the season, while four others collected RBIs. Aileen Avelar's RBI single into right field closed the door on game one in walk-off fashion.
Sammie Greene owned the base bath, as she's done all season, adding two more bags to chart the most stolen bases (24) in a single season in the program's Division II era.
GAME ONE
Reese started the party with a solo shot over center field to put the home team on the board, 1-0.
However, the Bison's momentum came to a screeching stop when the Blossoms scored two in the second. Afterward, the game saw three scoreless innings until OBU broke the silence with a Stephanie McDonald double that brought Samantha Campos to tie the game two-all in the sixth.
Then, the Oklahoma Baptist defense retired the UAM offense 1-2-3 in the seventh before taking the opening game 3-2 at the bottom of the frame, courtesy of Avelar's bat.
GAME TWO
OBU's good fortune carried into game two with the offense earning three runs on three hits in the first inning. Sparks, Ford, and Campos were recipients of hits in the opening onslaught.
The Bison were not finished as a Sparks ground out to shortstop plated Greene for Oklahoma Baptist's third score of the day in the following inning.
UAM interrupted OBU's comfortable lead with a three-run rally in the fifth, but the home team finished the job early behind the arm of Jones.
Oklahoma Baptist returns tomorrow for the season finale with the Blossoms, set to start at noon in Shawnee.
