SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist took the series over East Central after a doubleheader split on Saturday at Bobby Cox Field at Ford Park. The Tigers won game one 11-8 before the Bison clinched the finale by an 11-1 tally.
OBU moved to 17-15 overall and 10-11 in the Great American Conference with the results.
GAME ONE
The visitors led throughout and held off a late Bison rally to win 11-8. ECU's victory in the game snapped a 24-game losing streak to the green and gold in the process.
In the third, a Tanner Collins double followed by a Bison throwing error in the same sequence allowed three runs to score. After that, OBU played catch-up. A pair of two-out hits, a triple by
Dan Pruitt and double from
Kade Self, pushed two Bison across and made the score 3-2.
The score would stay close until the eighth when the Tigers pulled away. In that frame, ECU scored four times without any hits. There were two runs scored via a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and later a bases-loaded walk. Plus, Duncan Key connected with a sacrifice fly that scored another while Mason Glowacki scored on a wild pitch. Those runs made the score 9-3.
OBU did threaten a half-inning later though. Down by six, the green and gold collected three hits.
Isiah Lissade's RBI double plated
Austin Gonzales before a two-run two-bagger from
Alex Schroeder inched the Bison closer, 9-7. Then,
Jose Parga drew a bases-loaded walk and brought OBU to within one.
After that walk, ECU escaped with a 4-6-3 double play to stop the bleeding. A frame later, they added three more runs for the final margin.
GAME TWO
Jake Hamilton was sensational in the finale. In six innings pitched, he only allowed three hits and struck out 10 batters. Hamilton also induced five fly-ball outs.
With OBU's senior righty dealing, its offense returned the favor. In the second, OBU collected two doubles, a triple and a home run to seize a 5-0 lead.
Dan Pruitt had a two-run homer while Parga and Gonzales each drove in runs with doubles. Additionally,
Jayden Shafer had an RBI single.
A frame later, Lissade provided the fireworks. He was just feet away from a grand slam but ended up with a bases-clearing double to the center-field wall. That hit made the score 8-0 before Shafer drove in another.
For the Tigers' offense, they didn't get any real traction and squandered a couple opportunities in the second, fourth and sixth frames. But that was due in large part to Hamilton getting a few strikeouts and putouts by his defense.
The Bison will be back home for their next game. That comes on April 4 at 5 p.m. against Northeastern State.
