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Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 21, 2017) – What was perhaps
Kolton Brown's strongest pitching outing of his Oklahoma Christian baseball career gave the Eagles a doubleheader split against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
Brown allowed only three hits and no earned runs in six innings as OC took the first game 5-1 at Dobson Field, although the Rangers rebounded to win the second game 6-3.
Brown, a senior right-hander from Yukon, baffled Northwestern (4-8) throughout the first game and would have had a shutout except for an unearned run in the fifth, when a runner who reached on a dropped fly ball to start the inning eventually scored.
But by that time, OC had generated enough offense to give Brown (2-1) a comfortable lead. OC took advantage of two walks and two hit batsmen by Northwestern starter Taylor Sander (0-1) in the first inning to score once and a sacrifice fly by
Isaac Holt in the second inning scored another run.
OC made it 3-0 in the third on
Luke Reynolds' RBI fielder's choice grounder and 4-0 in the fourth on consecutive doubles by
Cory Duran and
Lane Paul.
"
Kolton Brown did a great job," OC coach
Lonny Cobble said. "He had a rough outing last time out, coming in in relief, so we decided to start him. He seems to do better when he starts. He gave us six solid innings and just never let them threaten."
OC (6-6) managed only four hits in the second game against six Northwestern pitchers. The Eagles left the bases loaded in both the second and sixth innings.
The Rangers, meanwhile, jumped on OC starter
Abe Spencer (0-1) for four runs in three innings and took the lead for good with a two-run second. OC reliever
Jake Collins entered the game in the sixth and recorded five straight strikeouts, but OC trailed 5-3 by that point.
"We had our opportunities early, but we could never get the timely hit, which has kind of been the story of our season so far," Cobble said.
Blake Jones (1-0), the Rangers' third pitcher, recorded three straight outs in the fourth inning to earn the pitching win, while Sean Rydell threw the final two innings to pick up his first save.
OC will face Lone Star Conference power Cameron in a three-game series later this week, hosting the Aggies for a single game on Friday before traveling to Lawton for a doubleheader on Saturday.
Lonny Cobble on the doubleheader split:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWd3JxVFCwE&feature=em-upload_owner
