OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Mar. 17, 2011) – The Oklahoma Christian baseball team split Thursday's double header against No. 5 Lubbock Christian University (Texas) losing 12-0 in the first game and taking the second 11-6.
Game 1
The Eagles struggled to score in the first game against the Chaparrals as the No. 5 Lubbock Christian men put up a six run second inning for an early lead over OC.
LCU put up another three runs in the third to take a 9-0 lead over the Eagles heading into the fourth.
Three scoreless innings followed as the Eagles were unable to respond, before the Chaps put together another three-run inning in the seventh to close out the game with a 12-0 decision.
Despite the shutout loss, Clint Bowker led at the plate for the Eagles with 2-for-3 success.
Game 2
In the second game against the Chaps, the Eagles had retribution on their mind as they put up a three-run first inning to take an early lead. Third to bat, Jordan Price drilled a double to deep center field to send home Taylor Parcus and Dillon Andrews. Three batters later, Clint Bowker made it home on a ground out from Zac Coshow to put the Eagles up 3-0 in the first.
While still holding the LCU men scoreless, the Eagles followed with two more runs in the second to advance their lead to 5-0 heading into the third. During the inning, Bowker connected on a single to send home both Josh Balch and Andrews for two scores.
Following a scoreless third, the Chaps got on the board in the fourth with two runs to trail the Eagles by three at 5-2. The Eagles responded, however, with three more runs to regain a six-point lead at 8-2 going into the fifth.
Parcus was the first to score during the inning off of a double from Price. Two batters later, Tyler Gipson took to the plate to hit a single that sent home Price and a misplayed grounder by the Chaps allowed Gispon home as well on the play.
In the fifth inning, the Eagles' pinch runner Garrett Stephenson made it home from first on a deep hit double from Parcus to put the Eagles at a 9-2 advantage.
LCU retaliated at the top of the sixth with four runs, including a three-run homer, to come within striking distance of the Eagles at 9-6.
The Eagles responded with two in the bottom of the inning to lead 11-6 going into the final inning. Price was the first to round the bases making it home on a sacrifice fly from Gipson before Stephenson hit a single on the next at bat to drive in Bowker for the score.
With the Chaps unable to respond in the seventh, the game was left to the Eagles with an 11-6 victory.
Parcus and Price both went 3-for-4 at the plate while Price tallied three RBI in the process. Bowker and Gipson helped out with respective 2-for-4 and 2-for-3 hitting and both tallied two RBI.
Dustin Andrews claimed the win for the Eagles pitching through the first five innings and tallying six strikeouts in the process while only walking a single batter.
The split leaves the Eagles to a 13-6 record overall and a 6-3 record for conference play. OC will finish out the LCU series on Friday at home with a single nine-inning game at 1 p.m.
-OC-
