ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Ouachita Tigers continued their opening weekend on Saturday with an 8-7 loss in 10 innings to the Missouri Western State Griffons, followed by a 7-1 victory over the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Lions. Connor Reed highlighted the day with eight innings on the mound, seven strikeouts and his first win of the season.
 
In the first game of the day, Ouachita's John Franklin Matros started on the mound, and he held the Griffons hitless through the first two innings. The Tigers' offense came alive early, as Jakahari Howell led off the bottom of the first inning with a single up the middle. Then, with two-outs, Preston Speers scored Howell with a double down the left-field line.
 
Missouri Western State (3-2) took a 2-1 lead in the third inning, however, with two runs on three hits. The Tigers then responded immediately in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly by Victor Draijer to tie the game at two.
 
The Griffons took their second lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning on an error and later added to their lead with a three-run fifth inning. In the top of the sixth, Missouri Western took a 7-2 on another error, but a groundout left one runner on base.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers began their comeback, starting with a single by Ryan Hammer. Hammer later scored on a double by Ty Owens, and with the bases loaded, Justin Weigle walked to score Drew Feuerbacher and cut the deficit to 7-4.
 
After scoreless seventh and eighth innings, the Tigers scored three runs on two hits in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at seven. Missouri Western walked three batters to load the bases for Ouachita, and a two-out single by Kyle Alexander scored two runs for the Tigers. Feuerbacher then followed with a single to centerfield to score another run, but the Griffons recorded the third out before Ouachita could take the lead.
 
In the 10 inning, Missouri Western loaded the bases and later scored after a batter was hit by a pitch. In the bottom of the inning, Howell led off with a walk, but the Tigers could not score and took the 8-7 loss.
 
Matros pitched five innings for Ouachita, and Jayme Lovelace added four innings of work. Lance Cullum pitched the 10^th inning and was handed the loss.
 
In the second game, Ouachita scored in the first inning again, on a two-run homerun by Preston Speers. The Lions pulled within one after scoring in the second inning, but Ouachita added a run in the third inning on a single by Will Wallace to take a 3-1 lead.
 
The Tigers later took a 7-1 lead on a four-run seventh inning that featured three hits and one error. Feuerbacher started the rally with a single up the middle, and an error by the Griffons allowed Feuerbacher to score. Ty Owens, who reached first on the error, later scored on a wild pitch. After Howell walked, Weigle tripled to score Howell, and then Wallace single to score Weigle.
 
A scoreless eighth inning and top of the ninth inning secured the 7-1 win for the Tigers, and Ouachita moved to 2-4 on the season.
 
Reed started at pitcher for Ouachita and earned his first win of the season. Jacob May pitched the final inning of the day, giving up zero hits.
 
For the day, Feuerbacher led Ouachita with five hits. Howell scored a team-high three runs, and Speers recorded three runs batted in during the two games.
 
The Tigers will finish the weekend with a nine-inning contest against Missouri Western on Sunday. The game at Rab Rodgers Field is scheduled for 12 p.m.