OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University edged Wayland Baptist (Texas) 7-6, then rolled to a 15-5 victory on Friday at Jim Wade Stadium.
OCU used a passed ball to win the first game, then scored the final run in the second contest on Mark Purser's single. The Stars, ranked eighth in NAIA baseball, moved to 39-11, 21-5 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
In the first game, Steve Vitale put OCU on the scoreboard with a two-run home run to right field. Chad Carman put the Stars up 3-0 with an RBI double.
Kirk Walker nailed a two-run blast over the left-center field wall to give OCU a 5-1 advantage.
Wayland Baptist rallied to tie the game 5-5 in the top of the fifth on Kevin Hennessey's two-run homer. Carman answered with a solo shot over left field to put OCU ahead in the bottom of the inning.
Wayland's Pedro Gomez tied the game at 6-6 with a homer just within fair territory over the right-field wall in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Walker and Vitale started OCU off with back-to-back singles. Garrett Regan loaded the bases by poking a bunt past Wayland Baptist pitcher Marcus Limon. Walker reached home when a pitch got past catcher Oscar Rivera.
Walker, a junior from Bakersfield, Calif., went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Vitale, a senior from East Meadow, N.Y., went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two runs driven in, and Carman, a sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Regan, a senior from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Dustin Williams picked up the victory, moving to 10-2 on the year. Williams, a senior right-hander from Norman, Okla., registered his sixth complete game this season, striking out eight in seven innings of work Friday.
In the nightcap, OCU built an 8-0 lead through three innings. Brian Fisher had a two-run base hit, Purser hit an RBI double and Matt Presley hammered a two-run homer. Terrance Jackson drove in a run with a base hit.
The Stars went up 14-2 using Fisher's two-run triple, Purser's run-scoring single and Jackson's three-run blast over the left-field wall in the fourth.
Wayland Baptist kept the game going with three runs in the top of the fifth. OCU ended the game on Purser's bloop single over the shortstop into left.
Purser, a junior from Spokane, Wash., went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Vitale went 3-for-4, scored twice and drove in two runs. Fisher and Jackson each were 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Carman and Regan each had two hits.
Clint Maune registered the win, striking out five in 3.2 innings pitched.
OCU and Wayland Baptist conclude their three-game set at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jim Wade Stadium.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
