Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LAREDO, Texas (March 24, 2016) –
Brennan Walker and two relievers combined on a shutout and Oklahoma Christian pounded out 12 hits to rout Texas A&M International 9-0 on Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader at Uni-Trade Stadium.
The win gave OC a split on the day, as the Dustdevils took advantage of sloppy first-inning defense by OC in the opener to grab an early lead and win 6-2. The teams will play the decisive game of the series on Friday at noon.
OC (14-12, 5-3 Heartland Conference) is in fifth place in the league standings, with the four teams above the Eagles all having two conference losses apiece.
Walker (3-1) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven in six innings before
Dylon Sturges pitched two innings of one-hit baseball and
Jared Price followed with a scoreless ninth for the Eagles.
Their teammates gave them plenty of early run support against TAMIU (12-16, 3-5), scoring five times in the first inning and four more times in the third. The Eagles jumped on TAMIU starter Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5) for 10 hits in three innings. OC's first four batters of the game singled, with
Robert Rosser,
Jake Baxter and
Ben McKenzie delivering RBI hits during the first.
In the third, McKenzie – who had doubled in the first – tripled home
Kyle Lacy to make it 6-0 and
Jared Sterling followed with a two-run home run. Doubles by
Austin Orth and
Alex Polston extended the Eagles' lead to 9-0.
The Eagles outhit TAMIU 8-7 in the first game, but the Dustdevils seized a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed. TAMIU had just two hits against OC starter
Bradley Horn (4-2) in the inning, but the Eagles committed two errors and Horn hit a batter.
Lacy scored both of OC's runs, reaching on an error in the second inning and scoring on McKenzie's single to left-center field, then leading off the fourth with a home run.
Derek Jones went 3-for-4 in the game for the Eagles.
Osvaldo Raya (5-2) went the distance on the mound for TAMIU.
The loss ended the Eagles' 10-game winning streak in their series against TAMIU. OC is 11-2 all-time against the Dustdevils.
