Box score

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (April 14, 2008) – The Oklahoma Christian University baseball team beat Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 7-4 on Monday to complete a three-game series win over the Evangels.

Tyler Sutton (1-4) won his first game of the season with a solid 8.1 inning outing. The Rosemark, Tenn., native allowed four runs on 11 hits while striking out five.

The win comes on the heels of a doubleheader split at Mid-America (10-29, 2-25) on Saturday. Oklahoma Christian is 14-24-1 overall and 6-21 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

The Eagles shot out of the gate with a three-run first to start Monday's game.

After Jordan Price drew a leadoff walk, Josh Balch blasted a two-run homer over the left-field fence to put OC ahead 2-0 before MACU recorded an out. Nick Hollrah doubled in Jay White later in the inning to make it 3-0.

The Evangels chipped away with single-run innings in the second and third before going on top with a two-run fifth.

Alex Webb stroked a two-out double that brought Jake Scott and Mike Wilkinson home to put MACU up 4-3.

But a determined Eagle squad responded with their biggest inning, a four-run job, in the home half of the fifth to reclaim the advantage.

Tyler Gipson led off the frame with a base hit up the middle. Jay White then snuck a bunt in front of the pitcher's mound to put two runners aboard with no outs.

Ray Long tied the game with a fielder's choice RBI, then Austin Reid bounced a single into center field to score Long and White and make it a 6-4 Eagle edge.

OC's pushed the lead to 7-4 when a hard Balch grounder went through the second baseman's legs, allowing Reid to score.

Sutton kept MACU off the board through the next three innings before Riley Jones came on with one out in the ninth.

Jones (with runners on first and second) got the first batter he faced to chop to third base where Gipson stepped on the bag and hosed the ball across the diamond for a game-ending five-to-three double play.

Reid had the best offensive day of anyone with a 3-for-4, two-RBI effort. The outfielder had one of six OC doubles.

Gipson (2-for-4) and Davis (2-for-5) were the only other Eagles with more than one hit, but six players had at least one knock in the win. Davis' two hits were both doubles.

Jones picked up the save, the first for any Eagle pitcher this season. 

OC will now take a 10-day break before completing the regular season with three games against Rogers State (Okla.). The Eagles travel to Claremore on April 24 for a single nine-inning game, then return to Dobson Field on April 26 for a doubleheader at 12 p.m.

-OC-