FORT SMITH, Ark. (April 26, 2021) – Oklahoma Christian is becoming known in NCAA Division II baseball circles this season for its productive offense. Turns out that offense also can be clutch, when necessary.
Down a run and down to their final out in the ninth inning on Monday against Arkansas-Fort Smith, the Eagles loaded the bases before
Michael DiFiore laced a two-run double to right-center field, giving OC a dramatic 6-5 win over the Lions in the rubber game of a three-game series at Crowder Field.
Veteran pitcher
Robbie Suhr, making only his fourth appearance of the season due to injury, threw the final three innings and retired Arkansas-Fort Smith (13-17, 12-15 Lone Star Conference) in order in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure the win for OC (23-11, 20-10).
The Eagles – who are fifth in the latest South Central Region poll conducted by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association – will be in sole possession of third place in the LSC entering the final two weeks of the regular season. OC will be off from LSC play this week before visiting Lubbock Christian (Texas) next week for a three-game series. The top four eligible teams in the league standings at the end of the season will host a first-round LSC playoff series.
OC starter
Julien Ly pitched into the seventh, but ran into trouble as the Lions scored three runs – two on a single by Brenden Williams – in the inning to go ahead 5-4. Suhr (2-0) didn't allow a hit after that, though, giving his team a chance to rally.
OC did so in the top of the ninth against UAFS relievers Coby Greiner (0-5) and Braiden Partin. With one out,
Kevin Collyar singled to left field, but was still on first base with two outs before
Blake Empkey drew a walk. Partin replaced Greiner but then walked
Chance Westervelt – the LSC's leading hitter – to load the bases for DiFiore, a freshman from Lucas, Texas, who is second in the LSC in slugging percentage.
DiFiore's double scored Collyar and Empkey to put the Eagles ahead and Suhr made sure UAFS didn't put together a rally of its own. DiFiore had six hits in the series – three doubles and three home runs, giving him an otherworldly slugging percentage of 1.500 for the three games.
Tanner White also drove in two runs for the Eagles, one on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and another on a sixth-inning single to right field that put OC ahead 3-2 at the time.
OC will host Southeastern Oklahoma State on Tuesday for a nonconference game before traveling to Lubbock Christian. The Eagles will close the regular season at Central Oklahoma on May 4.
