SHAWNEE, Oklahoma – The Ouachita Baptist University baseball team bounced back from a loss to Oklahoma Baptist in game one of the series on Sunday to win both games of a double header on Monday by final scores of 16-11 and 10-9.
The Tigers improve to 8-5 overall and 5-1 in Great American Conference games, just one game out of first place after two weekends of league action. The two wins on Monday helped Ouachita secure its first-ever series victory over Oklahoma Baptist,
In the first game of Monday's double header, Ouachita came out slugging with nine runs in the top of the first inning on just four hits, highlighted by a two-out grand slam by G. Allen, his team-leading third homerun of the season. His fourth homerun of the season came later in the game, a two-run shot in the sixth to put his team up 14-5. He ended with a perfect game at the plate, going 4-for-4 and ending up a double shy of hitting for the cycle.
By the end of the Ouachita's turn in the fifth inning, the Tigers were up 12-2. However, the Bison started to chip away at the lead with three runs in both of the fifth and sixth innings.
With a four-run lead, Ouachita added two cushion runs in the top of the ninth, which ended up being helpful as the Bison plated three runs in the bottom of the inning to also eclipse double-digit in runs.
In addition to Allen's big game offensively, Jud Arrington went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Wyatt Core with 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Dustin Bermudez went 2-for-5 with a two-run homerun and an RBI single.
Of Ouachita's 15 hits in the win, nine went for extra bases.
In the series-deciding victory, the Tigers and Bison went back-and-forth in the game that was originally scheduled for seven innings, but needed two extra frames to decide a winner.
The Bison forced a 7-7 tie with a solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth, and with both teams held scoreless in the seventh, the marathon day continued. Both teams plated two runs in the eighth. The game and series deciding run came in the top of the ninth on a solo homerun by Tallon Heine.
Ouachita added three more extra base hit to its total for the day to make 12 in the two games combined.
Game three's offensive leaders for the Tigers included Bermudez with a 2-for-4, one RBI game. Bermudez also picked up the win on the mound, tossing the final five innings with seven strikeouts.
Jaxon Chaney went 2-for-2 with a three-run homerun. Core went 2-for-5. Heine finished 2-for-5, included his game-winning homerun.
Ouachita is set for a midweek road trip to face off against Texas A&M-Texarkana on Wednesday, March 2. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The Tigers will be back on the road this upcoming weekend in a GAC series at Harding.
