JACKSON, Tenn. – The Ouachita Tigers baseball team opened the season with two losses on Saturday, falling to the Union University Bulldogs, 5-0 and 6-0.
Ryan Hammer and
Jakahari Howell each finished the doubleheader with two hits and one double.
Connor Eller, the 2015 Great American Conference Pitcher of the Year, threw for the first six innings for Ouachita in the first game, striking out four batters. In the third inning, though, Union loaded the bases on an error, a hit and a walk, and a single allowed the Bulldogs to score an unearned run.
Union then added to its 1-0 lead with a run in the four inning after a leadoff triple, but the Tigers were able to escape with just one run allowed, despite four batters getting on base. In the top of the fifth inning,
Drew Feuerbacher reached second base on a two-out double and later found his way to third on a passed ball. Feuerbacher was left on base, however, and Union preserved the 2-0 lead.
The Tigers then were held to just one hit over the final four innings of play, while Union recorded a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth. Eller was handed the loss for the Tigers, giving up three runs, two of them earned.
Kason Kimbrell came in relief in the seventh inning, but was replaced by
Zach Gloff one out and one run later. Gloff then closed out the inning, and
Jayme Lovelace pitched the eighth.
In the second game,
Connor Reed started on the mound for the Tigers, lasting five innings. Reed held the Bulldogs hitless through the first two innings, but Union was able to take a 1-0 lead in the third behind two hits.
In the top of the fourth,
Will Wallace led off with a single for Ouachita, and
Preston Speers moved Wallace to second with a single of his own.
Kyle Alexander then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Wallace to third, but two strike outs ended the half-inning with zero runs scored. The Bulldogs then added two more in the fourth, after back-to-back doubles to lead off the bottom half of the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Union recorded five hits, resulting in three runs and a 6-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
Reed fell to 0-1 on the season with the loss, allowing three runs, two earned. Reed did strike out five batters, however, and allowed just four hits.
Jacob May and
Jacob Knight combined to pitch the sixth inning for Ouachita.
The Tigers recorded only eight hits on the day and left nine runners on base. Ouachita will finish the three-game series with Union on Sunday, with a nine-inning game beginning at 1 p.m.
