OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University completed a three-game sweep of St. Gregory's with a pair of 11-2 victories on Monday evening at Jim Wade Stadium.
The Stars, ranked third in NAIA baseball, have now won all seven Sooner Athletic Conference series they have played on the season. OCU improved to 36-8, 19-2 in the SAC.
The Stars scored eight runs in the sixth inning of game two to break open a tight game. Austin Messerli, a junior from Norman, Okla., capped the eight-run inning with a pinch-hit grand slam deep to left field. Scott Dalrymple and Kirk Walker each added two-run singles in the inning.
Walker, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif., paced the OCU offense, going 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Walker accounted for half of the Stars eight hits.
Cody Crabaugh, a freshman right-hander from Edmond, Okla., earned the victory in relief of starter Terrance Jackson. Crabaugh allowed two unearned runs on two hits to move to 6-1 on the season.
Jackson, a junior left-hander from Greenville, Ala., threw four shutout innings with six strikeouts before exiting with a 2-0 lead.
St. Gregory's tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with two runs on a throwing error by Steve Vitale. Vitale missed wide on a throw to second base that would have ended the inning.
The Stars answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning with a run on an RBI groundout that brought home Walker.
In game one, OCU pulled out to a 9-0 lead to cruise by St. Gregory's 11-2. Jackson went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Garrett Regan, Chad Carman, Matt Presley and Nathan Bryan each had two hits.
Bryan, a junior from Andrews, Texas, blasted a solo homer to left field in the second inning to give the Stars a 2-0 advantage.
OCU pulled away with five runs in the third frame. Vitale singled through the right side of the infield to bring home a run, then Regan roped a two-RBI triple down the right-field line as OCU went up 5-0. Presley knocked in a run with an RBI double. Bryan added his second RBI of the game with a single to the shortstop to cap the scoring.
Mike Richard, a junior left-hander from Walla Walla, Wash., worked three scoreless innings to earn his eighth victory of the season.
Zac Coplon, a junior right-hander from Claremore, Okla., came on in relief with three innings of work, allowing two runs on three hits. Zac Tidholm, a junior left-hander from Mustang, Okla., worked a perfect seventh inning to finish off the game.
The Stars travel to Lubbock, Texas for a crucial three-game series with seventh-ranked Lubbock Christian (Texas) April 23-24.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
