MAGNOLIA, Arkansas – The Ouachita Baptist University baseball team opened its three-game road series against Southern Arkansas University on Saturday by splitting a doubleheader with the ninth-ranked Muleriders, dropping game one 7-4 and rallying in an extra inning to win game two 6-5.
Dustin Bermudez earned the win in in game two in multiple ways, driving in what ended up being the winning run in the top of the eighth inning of the scheduled seven-inning affair, and then getting three straight outs on the mound in the bottom of the eighth to even the series.
Jaxon Chaney also played a big role in the win, going 2-for-3 with two homeruns, a two-run shot in the fourth and a solo blast in the sixth. Ouachita's other scoring in the win came on an RBI single by
Isaac Nowell in the top of the seventh on a play where the Tigers scored another run on a SAU error to take a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The Muleriders answered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force an extra frame, setting the stage for Bermudez' two-out double to right center to score
Tallon Heine, who reached on a fielder's choice in the previous at bat.
Bermudez retired the SAU side in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by a pair of swinging strikeouts. He moves to 3-0 on the mound this year.
SAU (23-9, 15-5 GAC) took the series opener thanks in part to a four-run fourth inning with the big blow coming on a three-run homerun by Brett McGee in a 14-pitch at bat against Tiger starter
Cooper Timmons, who otherwise had a good outing with just two other runs surrendered and seven strikeouts through the first 5.2 innings.
Ouachita (21-9, 14-6 GAC) rallied from a 5-0 deficit to make it a two-run game at 6-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning following back-to-back solo homeruns from
Michael Quinones and
Isaac Nowell. SAU finalized the scoring with a solo homerun of its own in the bottom of the eighth to finalize the scoring. Ouachita went down in order in the top of the ninth.
In addition to the homeruns in the eighth inning, Ouachita's other scoring came off the bat of
Tallon Heine with an RBI double in the top of the fifth and an RBI fielder's choice groundout in the top of the seventh.
Dustin Bermudez with 2-for-5.
CW Schrader went 2-for-4.
The series will be decided on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. Ouachita is now just one game behind SAU and Arkansas Tech, who are tied for first place in the Great American Conference. The Tigers had their eight-game winning streak snapped in Saturday's first game, but are still in the hunt to extend their streak of consecutive conference series wins, which currently sits at four.
