OKLAHOMA CITY – Landon Camp and Brent Weaver hit significant home runs in Oklahoma City University's 19-1, 11-8 doubleheader sweep Saturday at Jim Wade Stadium.
Camp broke OCU's career home run record, while Weaver tied the single-season school homer record. The Stars, ranked second in NAIA baseball, improved to 42-6, 19-5 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, while Northwestern dropped to 25-21, 10-14.
A senior from Edmond, Okla., Camp hit his record-breaking homer, the 56th of his career, in the second inning of the second game to tie the score at two runs each. Camp pounded a 1-1 curveball over the wall in right-center field.
Camp nailed another to extend his record and drive in the go-ahead runs in the game. He hit a 1-0 fastball over the net in left. Dave Marlett previously held the record with 55 homers from 2001-04.
“Denney Crabaugh talks about Dave Marlett, and to be mentioned in the same sentence as him, it means a lot,” Camp said. “He did a lot for his team.
“I rounded third, and I saw my dad on his feet. Zac Coplon got the ball, and he said he was more than happy to get it.”
After Camp's two-run shot in the second, Sammy Lee had a sacrifice fly that put OCU ahead 3-2. The lead changed hands three more times. The Stars took control with a six-run sixth inning.
B.J. Wheeler tied the game at 7-7 with a two-run shot over the left-center wall. Camp added his two-run blast, then Chad Carman hit a two-run shot for his first homer of his OCU career.
“In the sixth inning, we decided we needed to do something,” Camp said. “After B.J. hit that home run, we took a deep breath. B.J. really knocked that ball out. I was almost happier about Chad's homer than I was about mine.”
Brad Riddle came on to pitch in the fourth and held Northwestern to one run on four hits in three innings. Northwestern attempted a double steal in the fifth, and Camp threw Chad Anglin out at home plate after Josue Rios stole second base. Riddle went to 1-1.
Dustin Williams picked up his second save by striking out two batters in the seventh.
Wheeler, a senior from Abilene, Texas, went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, and Camp went 2-for-3 with four RBIs.
In the first game, Weaver socked his 27th homer of the year, a three-run shot to left to ignite an 11-run fifth inning.
Lee began OCU's scoring in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Camp clouted a two-run triple to right, and David Mann hit an RBI double to left. Kirk Walker added an RBI single before Lee nailed a three-run blast, his second homer of the game.
Weaver, a senior from Midwest City, Okla., holds the single-season record with Rick Nadeau, who first hit 27 in 1999; Nick Klusaw, who tied the record in 2005; and David Dennis, who hit 27 last year.
Camp was 3-for-4 with four RBIs, and Weaver was 2-for-3 with three runs driven in. Lee went 3-for-4 with six RBIs. Mann was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Ashur Tolliver picked up the win, throwing three hitless innings, striking out five. Justin Harper relieved Tolliver and extended the no-hitter through four innings. Tolliver moved to 8-1.
“We came out with a lot of fire,” Camp said. “Nineteen runs says it all.”
OCU faces USAO at 2 p.m. Thursday in Chickasha, Okla.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
