MONTICELLO, Arkansas – The Ouachita baseball team turned in one of its best offensive performances of the season on Monday in a 14-13 road victory over Arkansas-Monticello to finish off a three-game Great American Conference sweep over the Weevils.
The Tigers turned in a season-high 18 hits in the win, six of which went for extra bases. The men in purple also turned in season-highs in walks (13) and hit batters (4). The 14 runs scored are tied for second-most in a game this year.
Monday's win moves Ouachita into fourth place in the league standings with three weeks remaining in the regular season. The Tigers are now 17-18 overall and 14-10 in GAC games.
Isaac Nowell was responsible for a significant portion of Ouachita's offense in Monday's win. The senior center fielder finished the game 6-for-7 at the plate with five RBI. He started the game with a leadoff homerun in the top of the first inning and finished the game with what ended up being the game-winning solo homerun in the top of the ninth.
Nowell's performance marks Ouachita's first six-hit game in the NCAA era.
Nowell wasn't the only offense for the Tigers in Monday's win over the Weevils.
Wesley Scott,
Garrett Graham,
Jaxson Jester, and
Kyndall Cassidy all had two hits in the game. Graham, Jester, and
Reece McWilliams all had two RBI. Cassidy reached base in all six of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with four walks.
The Tigers scored at least one run in all nine innings of the game, highlighted by a four-run fifth inning.
UAM surged to take a 13-12 lead with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Weevils were held there with Tiger reliever
Braden Tucker coming in to quiet the rally. Tucker (1-1) earned the win after keeping UAM scoreless on just two hits in two innings of work.
Kyndall Cassidy came over from first base to finish the game on the mound and get the final out to earn his first save.
Ouachita is back in action on Tuesday with a non-conference game against Christian Brothers. The contest was originally scheduled to be played at home at Rab Rodgers Field, but due to ongoing cleanup and restoration efforts from the recent flooding, the game has been moved to Majestic Park in Hot Springs. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
