Box Score CLAREMORE, Okla. (March 20, 2016) – Rogers State rallied with two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Oklahoma Christian 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Diamond Sports Complex, denying the Eagles a sweep of the three-game Heartland Conference baseball series.
OC (12-11, 4-2 Heartland) remained in second place in the league standings, two games behind Arkansas-Fort Smith and tied with Lubbock Christian (Texas), St. Edward's (Texas) and Newman (Kan.). The Eagles have won their first two Heartland series, against St. Edward's and Rogers State.
Ismael Orozco's RBI single in the bottom of the first scored Jordan Garr (who had walked) and put Rogers State (16-8, 3-3) up 1-0. OC answered in the top of the second, as
Kyle Lacy singled with one out and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by
Ben McKenzie.
Both starting pitchers – OC's
Jared Sterling and the Hillcats' Michael Fusselman – were effective, with Sterling allowing four hits in six innings and Fusselman giving up four hits in eight innings.
OC loaded the bases in the ninth inning against Rogers State reliever Rusty Huber (1-0).
Robert Rosser drew a leadoff walk and
Jake Baxter followed reached on an error.
Kyle Lacy sacrificed them to third and second base, respectively, before Huber struck out
Alex Polston. Huber intentionally walked McKenzie and then retired
Austin Orth on a fly ball to right field.
The Eagles broke through in the 10th inning. Huber hit
Zac Cobble with a pitch and
Jared Sterling reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt by
Derek Jones, Rosser was intentionally walked. Baxter then hit a bouncer back to Huber, who fired home to force out Cobble for the second out. Lacy – who went 3-for-4 for OC – singled up the middle to score Sterling, but the Hillcats threw out Rosser at home.
OC closer
Dylan Fazekas (1-3) struggled in the bottom of the inning, giving up three singles and a bases-loaded walk to Orozco that tied the game. Caleb Kohlmeyer scored the winning run for the Hillcats by scampering home from third base on a wild pitch.
The Eagles will host archrival Southern Nazarene on Tuesday in a nonconference game before returning to league play on Thursday with a doubleheader at Texas A&M International.
