MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist came back from a couple deficits but ended up falling to No. 11 (NCBWA) Southern Arkansas 14-12 on Sunday.
The Bison fell to 14-14 overall and 8-10 in the Great American Conference with the result.
OBU's grit was on display as it rallied twice from 6-0 and 9-6 deficits.
After two innings, Will Richardson and Brett McGee had driven in four of SAU's six runs with a pair of doubles. Following that spurt, the Bison came up with a six-run third inning.
Four of those runs were delivered by
Alex Schroeder and
Rafael Gutierrez. In the sixth at-bat of the third, Schroeder doubled down the left-field line and plated
Dan Pruitt and
Isiah Lissade. Following an RBI groundout from
Jose Parga, Gutierrez blasted a shot to left center and tied the contest, 6-6.
A frame later, SAU went back in front by three. Chris Lyles drove in a run, Brandon Nicoll scored on a wild pitch and Jackson Duke added a run-scoring single.
Then over the next two innings, the fifth and sixth, OBU rallied and took a lead. Schroeder knocked a solo bomb in the fifth which made the score 9-7. A frame later,
Dan Pruitt singled through the left side and scored
Austin Gonzales. That led to a go-ahead homer from
Kade Self. The senior rocked a three-run shot to left center and scored Pruitt and
Jayden Shafer. At the point, it was 11-9 Bison.
Self later drove in another run in the eighth which pushed the green and gold to a 12-10 lead.
Down by two, SAU scored four in its eighth-inning work to deny the Bison a win. Lyles homered to start the frame and after a hit-by-pitch and failed pickoff at first, Richardson homered to left center and moved the hosts back in front 13-12.
SAU tacked on one more run on a wild pitch before the ninth. In that final frame, Gutierrez and
Troy Shields got on base to start the inning. However, a flyout and 6-4-3 double play ended the game.
Lissade and Schroeder each collected two hits to lead the Bison while Schroeder added three RBI. Plus, Self added four runs driven in.
Next on the schedule is game at Southeastern Oklahoma State on March 29 at 3 p.m.
