EDMOND, Okla. (March 15, 2017) – A big seventh inning gave Oklahoma Christian hope on Wednesday afternoon at Central Oklahoma, but UCO scratched out a run in the eighth to edge the Eagles 5-4 at Wendell Simmons Field.
OC (13-11) managed only six hits – none for extra bases, thanks to a couple of stellar defensive plays – against UCO (15-5-1) as the Bronchos completed a season sweep of their cross-Edmond rival.
"We've just got to figure out a way to get a hit with people on base with two outs," OC coach Lonny Cobble said. "I don't know how other teams can do it and we don't. "
UCO scored four of its five runs with two outs. In the second, the Bronchos received a sacrifice fly from T.J. Sparr and a RBI single Kyle Miskovsky. In the fourth, consecutive two-out singles by Dayne Sommer and Sparr, followed by an OC error, led to another UCO run. Anthony Alvarez singled home Justin Brown in the fifth to put the Bronchos up 4-0.
OC advanced only one runner past first base against UCO starter J.J. Rogers, but he left the game after six innings and the Eagles scored all of their runs in the seventh against relievers Shawn Troutman, Ben Wusterbarth and Greg Hyde.
Troutman hit Chad Kennedy with a pitch to start the inning and, one out later, gave up singles to Ryan Ward and Jake Baxter, the latter making it 4-1. Wusterbarth came in and walked Brock Ruminer and Chase Kuwitzky, then hit Garrett Wages with a pitch that pulled OC within 4-3. Hyde stabilized things for UCO, but gave up a sacrifice fly to Drew Wright that tied the game. Wright finished 2-for-3 for OC.
OC managed only one baserunner in the final two innings against Hyde (2-1) and Gibson Russ, who retired the Eagles in order in the ninth to record his fourth save.
UCO scored the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth against OC reliever Jared Price (0-1), the Eagles' fourth pitcher of the game. Price hit leadoff batter Jon Kamies, who went to second base on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Sommer singled to center field, scoring Kamies.
The Eagles will travel south on Thursday for a key Heartland Conference series on Friday and Saturday against St. Mary's (Texas) in San Antonio.
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