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Box Score 2 ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Ouachita Tigers won their 19
th and 20
th games on the 2015 regular season on Saturday in a doubleheader sweep over the Dallas Christian College Crusaders. The Tigers defeated the Crusaders 2-0 and 8-2.
Connor Eller (7-1) spent all seven innings on the mound for Ouachita in game one to earn his third complete-game shutout of the season. He gave up only three hits and two walks while striking out five.
The Tigers took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when
Parker Norris scored on a groundout by
Justin Weigle. Norris led off the inning with a double to right center and later stole third before giving Ouachita the 1-0 lead.
Both teams were held scoreless over the next four innings, until Ouachita extended its lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Reuben Miller led off with a single to center field and was pushed to second after a single by
Tyler Faught. Miller and Faught then attempted a double-steal, and an error on the throw to third allowed Miller to score.
In the top of the seventh, Eller picked up two consecutive outs before walking the third batter. He then struck out the final batter of the game to secure the win for the Tigers.
Dallas Christian took an early lead in game two after a two-run first inning. Ouachita answered, however, in the bottom of the inning when
Jace Melby doubled to right center to score Weigle from first.
The Tigers then tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third and later took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Will Wallace picked up the RBI in the third, and
Drew Feuerbacher added on in the fourth.
Ouachita's offense came alive in the bottom of the sixth, as the Tigers scored five runs on six hits.
Kyle Alexander, Feuerbacher and Norris led off with back-to-back-to-back doubles, before Miller,
Matt Sinclair and Faught recorded three consecutive singles.
With an 8-2 lead, Ouachita went to
John Franklin Matros, who came in to replace
Connor Reed. After striking out the first batter, Matros gave up a single but then ended the game on a double play to give the Tigers their second win of the day. Reed (2-1) pitched six innings and struck out nine in the win.
Wallace, Miller and Faught led the Tigers with three hits on the day, while Feuerbacher and Faught tied for a team-high two runs batted in.
The Tigers (20-12, 11-5 GAC) will be in action again on Monday, April 13, as they take on Henderson State University. Ouachita will then return to conference play on April 17 as the Tigers travel to Bethany, Okla. for a three-game series with Southern Nazarene. The Tigers currently hold the top spot in the Great American Conference with six conference games remaining.