OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University had hot sticks and smoking pitching to pick up an 8-0 decision over St. Gregory's on Thursday at Jim Wade Stadium.
The Stars, ranked seventh in NAIA baseball, continued their trek through conference play unscathed after saddling St. Gregory's with the loss. OCU improved to 25-3, 14-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
OCU first baseman Austin Messerli, a senior from Norman, Okla., had two home run balls clear the fences and the bases to anchor the Stars offense. In addition to the home runs, Messerli was 3-for-4 with two RBIs on the night. Kirk Walker pounded a three-run homer in the sixth to provide extra insurance for the Stars. Walker, a senior from Bakersfield, Calif., ended the game 2-for-4 with his second home run of the season for OCU.
The first three innings of action were quiet for both teams, with OCU getting five on the base paths, but not finding a way to bring anyone in for the score. The Stars started the fourth inning with Messerli's first bomb of the night over the left-field wall. OCU continued the offensive momentum when Terrence Jackson crossed the plate after an error by the Cavaliers shortstop Tyler Bento.
The Stars power inning came in the sixth when Jackson popped an RBI single to bring in Dearth Parker, a senior from Roff, Okla. Ruben Sosa followed suit and landed on first after a shot to left field on a full count. After a sacrifice bunt by Mark Purser advanced the runners, Walker pounded the three-run shot to set the score at 6-0.
Messerli led off the seventh in resounding fashion when he blasted his second solo home run to widen the scoring gap even further. Parker reached base with a double down the left-field line after the Messerli dinger. After advancing to third, Parker found his way into home when a passed ball gave him time to scamper in for the score.
OCU's pitching battery kept the Cavaliers from scoring in the game. Corey Theriot, a right-handed senior from Iowa, La., tossed eight innings, gave up eight hits and struck out four batters in his 92-pitch outing. Steve Styck entered in the final inning of action retire three Cavaliers batters on 11 pitches. Styck, a righty from Kankakee, Ill., struck out one and didn't allow a base runner in his inning of action.
The Stars travel to Shawnee, Okla., to complete the regular-season series with St. Gregory's with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.
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