SHAWNEE -- Oklahoma Baptist defeated Southern Nazarene in a wild, back-and-forth slugfest Saturday at Bobby Cox Field, walking off with a 15-14 victory after surrendering a late lead and rallying again in the ninth.
The Bison appeared in control early, erupting for three runs in the second before breaking the game open with a nine-run third. Highlighted by a two-run homer from
Keenan Morris and a flurry of timely hits, Oklahoma Baptist built a commanding 12-2 advantage.
Morris led the offensive charge, finishing 4-for-5 with four RBI, while
Isaac Hill added three hits and two RBI.
Southern Nazarene, however, refused to fold. After chipping away with single runs in the fourth and sixth, the Crimson Storm delivered a stunning eight-run seventh frame—capitalizing on a defensive miscue and wild pitching—to seize a 13-12 lead. Seven of SNU's eight runs that seventh inning came with two away.
Josh Bay paced SNU with a 4-for-6 performance that included a home run and four RBI, while James Bodine reached base six times and drove in two.
The Bison bullpen steadied just enough to keep the deficit at one entering the final frame. In the ninth, SNU added an insurance run on an RBI single by Braden Pingel, extending the lead to 14-12 and setting the stage for late drama.
Oklahoma Baptist responded with composure. After two quick outs, the Bison strung together four consecutive baserunners.
Braden Smith delivered a clutch two-run single to tie the game, and after an intentional walk loaded the bases, Hill lined a walk-off single into left-center to cap the comeback and complete the 15-14 win.
Aiden Scheetz (1-0) earned the win in relief, tossing the final 2.1 innings, while Caleb Tucker (0-3) was tagged with the loss.
The win ended OBU's season with a 22-24 record.
