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Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY (March 30, 2018) – Freshman
Julien Ly's first collegiate RBI proved to be a huge one on Friday afternoon for Oklahoma Christian.
Ly delivered a walkoff two-out single to left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring
Kyle Bottger to lift the Eagles past St. Mary's (Texas) 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader.
Jake Collins had two hits, two RBIs and picked up the save on the mound as OC won the second game 7-5.
OC (12-15, 3-5 Heartland Conference) won three of four games against traditional NCAA Division II baseball power St. Mary's (20-10, 4-4), helping the Eagles rebound in the league standings after a disastrous opening series at Lubbock Christian (Texas) a week ago in which they were swept.
"What a big turnaround from last week to this week," OC coach
Lonny Cobble said. "I hope this puts us in the right direction. We started playing consistently. If we can just do that, we give ourselves a chance."
OC sophomore
Gabe Rodery (2-2) threw the Eagles' second complete game in as many days in the opener, allowing only five hits, striking out five batters and retiring 13 straight Rattlers in one stretch.
James Davison had two of those hits and scored both of the runs for the Rattlers. He doubled and scored on Jacob Aguilar's single in the first to put St. Mary's up 1-0.
Alex Garcia's single through a drawn-in infield pulled OC even in the fourth, and
Kolton Brown then scored on a wild pitch to put OC ahead 2-1. Davison scored on Angel Vega's sacrifice fly in the sixth to again tie the game.
St. Mary's reliever Branson Hall (2-3) retired OC's first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before hitting Bottger with a pitch. Collins singled through the left side before Ly hit a sinking line drive that just eluded Davison, the speedy center fielder for St. Mary's.
The Rattlers jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the second game against OC starter
Robbie Suhr (3-2), but the Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the third with three runs, with
Callen Crockett, Collins and
Ryan Ward (who went 3-for-4) each contributing an RBI single.
A bunt RBI single by
Austin Stokes fueled a two-run fourth for OC, but St. Mary's tied the game in the fifth on a two-run home run by Aguilar. But that proved to be the Rattlers' final push, as Suhr made it through six innings before
Matthew Fusselman,
Garett Hill and Collins each pitched a scoreless inning.
"Every guy we threw (in the series), I was pleased with," Cobble said. "I thought those guys competed."
Facing St. Mary's reliever Cole Hybner (4-1) in the sixth, the Eagles scored twice with two outs.
Chad Kennedy doubled down the left-field line and scored on a single up the middle by Bottger, who took second on a throwing error on the play and third on a passed ball. Collins followed with a bloop single that scored Bottger to make it 7-5.
Collins pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his league-leading sixth save of the season.
"Jake did a great job keeping the ball down," Cobble said. "When we get to Jake with a lead, I feel pretty confident. "Jake had himself a very good weekend."
The Eagles will return to action next Friday and Saturday with a four-game road series at Heartland foe Texas A&M International.
Lonny Cobble discusses the sweep:
https://youtu.be/NK6eR2HlLok
