HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jose Parga erased a 2-1 deficit with a two-out, three-run homer in the fourth as sixth seed Oklahoma Baptist (27-20) defeated third seed Harding 6-2 on Saturday night at Majestic Park in the Great American Conference Tournament.
The Bison will move on to play No. 2 seed Henderson State at 12:40 p.m. on Sunday.
There were some momentous plays for the green and gold over the course of the two-hour, 59-minute game. A couple of homers, a double play from the outfield and a seventh-inning pickoff helped OBU advance.
Before the middle innings, Harding attained a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the first. David Butterfield hit a solo bomb that frame before a couple of errors helped HU score another run.
That did not faze OBU though. In fact,
Bo Dallas and his teammates did not allow HU to score again. For the Bison's leading pitcher, he ended up with six strikeouts and scattered seven hits.
Among the defensive highlights were a second inning double play from centerfielder
Walker Keller to third baseman
Trey Furrey when HU had a runner in scoring position. The other, in the bottom of the seventh, saw catcher
Alex Schroeder pick off Owen Martin on a throw to first baseman
Dan Pruitt.
With OBU's defense humming, the potent Bison offense got in gear in the fourth.
Kade Self singled before
Cade Kissel reached on a hit-by-pitch. Then with two out, Parga took an 0-1 pitch to left center to give the Bison a 4-2 lead. That was Parga's 10th homer of the year.
A few innings passed before Pruitt got ahold of another one. A 1-0 delivery from HU's Carter McCall was sent to right center, pushing OBU's lead to 5-2. Kissel then rounded out the scoring with a two-out RBI single through the right side pushing Self across home.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dallas closed the deal with two strikeouts while Pruitt notched an infield popout.
