SHAWNEE -- Oklahoma Baptist erupted early and never looked back, rolling to an 11-1 run-rule victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Friday at Bobby Cox Field.
The Bison (18-17, 11-13 GAC) wasted no time setting the tone, striking for two runs in the first inning behind an RBI groundout from
Tui Amosa and a solo homer by
Lucas Schaefer. That momentum carried into a decisive second inning, where the hosts plated four more runs, highlighted by a two-run blast to center from
Zane Bennett.
OBU put the game out of reach in the third, exploding for five runs on four hits. Bennett delivered again with an RBI double, while
Quinn Johnson added a sacrifice fly and Amosa capped the inning with an RBI double. The Bison capitalized on timely hitting and aggressive baserunning to build an 11-0 advantage through three frames.
On the mound,
Kody Bialas set the tone with two scoreless innings before handing things over to
Grayson Connell (2-1), who earned the win. Connell was dominant in relief, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out eight across five innings.
Northwestern (20-19, 11-13 GAC) managed its lone run in the fourth on an RBI single from Cole Barton, but struggled to generate sustained offense against Connell. The Rangers finished with seven hits but struck out eight times and left five runners on base.
Bennett and Schaefer led the Bison offense with three RBI apiece, while
Matt Marsic scored twice and reached base three times.
With the early offensive surge and strong pitching, Oklahoma Baptist secured a convincing win in just seven innings.
Next on the schedule is a non-conference date with Southeastern on April 7 at 5 p.m.
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