OKLAHOMA CITY – Nathan Bryan ripped a two-out single through the left side in the ninth inning to cap an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over Southern Nazarene on Friday evening at Jim Wade Stadium.
The Stars, ranked seventh in NAIA baseball, scored the final five runs of the game to finish the regular season 41-13, 23-7 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Stars will be the No. 2 seed at next week's SAC Tournament.
Mark Purser, a junior from Spokane, Wash., went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored to lead the OCU offense. Brian Fisher, a sophomore from Spring, Texas, recorded three hits and scored three times.
The Stars entered the ninth inning trailing 7-6 before rallying for the win. Steve Vitale led off the inning with an infield single to first base. After two fly outs, Fisher kept the game alive with a single through the right side. Purser delivered a double down the left-field line to tie the game. Bryan followed by lining a 2-2 pitch just out of the reach of SNU shortstop Nick Spears to bring home the winning run.
OCU tallied three runs in the seventh inning, capped by an RBI double from Purser to right-center. Garrett Regan had a sacrifice fly to drive home the first run, and Fisher drove home a run with a double to left.
Matt Presley, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., picked up his first victory of the season with two innings of scoreless relief. Presley didn't allow a hit and struck out one.
Southern Nazarene pushed out to a 7-3 advantage through six innings. James Tunnell and Spears hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning off OCU reliever Terrance Jackson to build the four-run lead.
OCU starter Mike Richard was unable to get out of the fifth inning after surrendering five runs in 4 1/3 innings. Richard gave up seven hits and struck out two batters.
Jackson followed with 2 2/3 innings of work, allowing two run on four hits, while striking out four.
Presley hit his 13th homer of the season to spark a three-run second inning as OCU took a 3-2 lead.
The Stars will open play in the SAC Tournament on Monday at 1 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium. The opponent has yet to be determined.
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