HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist and Henderson State gave fans a spectacular defensive showcase on Sunday afternoon during a Great American Conference Tournament game at Majestic Park. By the end of the contest, the first extra-inning GAC tourney affair in three years, the second seed Reddies ended on top, 3-2.
For the green and gold,
Brek Galbreath tossed nine frames, struck out seven and got 10 flyouts and nine groundouts.
His counterpart, Ryan Galvan, went six innings, got a pair of double play balls, fanned five and induced six grounders. Additionally, HSU's Andrew Howard, who tossed the last five frames, allowed just two Bison hits and notched 12 combined groundouts and fly-ball outs. As a unit, the Reddies turned a trio of double plays during the three-hour, 12-minute game.
HSU benefited from an OBU error in the first which led to a sacrifice fly to right by David Vilches. That scored Dillon Thomas from third and broke the scoreless tie.
Over the next three frames, the green and gold put a total of six on base but could not find the big-play ball. They did though come back to tie the contest in the fifth.
Catcher
Alex Schroeder connected with a two-out RBI single to center which pushed
Jose Parga across home. Earlier in the frame, Parga had singled to left center.
Two innings went by before OBU had to tie the game again. During the seventh, Parga took a 3-1 pitch to right center and knotted the scoreboard up at 2-2. That was his second blast in as many days.
Following that hit, the Bison found just two more knocks. Those were delivered by
Dan Pruitt who doubled in the tenth followed by a single from
Kade Self in the eleventh.
In the final half-frame, Henderson prevailed. OBU was close to sending the game to another inning though. A 9-3-2 putout at home of pinch runner Spencer Taack following a Vilches double got one out. However, three of the next four batters were walked with full counts. The last of those to Jacob Carroll with the bases loaded ended the game in walk-off fashion.
Tomorrow, the Bison will play Arkansas Tech at 9:30 a.m. in an elimination game.
