OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University's red-hot bats powered the Stars to an 18-1 victory over Northwood (Texas) in a battle of top-20 squads Tuesday at Jim Wade Stadium.
OCU, ranked third in the NAIA, slammed 20 hits and peppered 18 runs in the seven-inning run-rule game over the 16th-ranked Knights. The Stars belted eight extra-base hits, including home runs from Julien Pollard and Terrance Jackson.
Defensively, Stars hurlers Clint Maune and Zac Tidholm combined for the one-hitter. Maune, a senior lefty from Yukon, Okla., used 72 pitches against 19 batters to get four strike outs and give up just one hit en route to the win. The lone hit for Northwood came in the top of the sixth when Kal Saldana poked a single into left center to end the no-hit bid.
OCU broke open the game in the third when the Stars batted around the order to pick up seven runs. Northwood's Brendan Fleming hit consecutive batters to walk in a run and followed it up with a walk to score OCU's second of the inning and force a pitching change. A Jackson sacrifice fly brought in Scott Dalrymple and brought OCU's Chad Carman to the plate. Carman, a junior from Midwest City, Okla., followed it up with a two-RBI double to make the score 7-0. After leading off the third, Kirk Walker singled to left to bring in the final two runs of the inning.
The Stars put up three in the fourth after Jackson brought in Mark Purser and Dearth Parker. Carman extended the lead to 10-0 with his second double of the contest to bring in Jackson. OCU added six more in the fifth after Purser banged out a single to advance Pollard in for the score. Jackson pounded a three-run homer over the left field wall to clear the bases for the Stars. OCU's Walker belted a two-out double to right to bring in Ruben Sosa and Brian Fisher and finish off the offensive outburst for the Stars.
Pollard, a senior from Tacoma, Wash., slammed his two-run dinger in the first inning to get the Stars on the board first. OCU finished the night with all nine offensive starters notching at least one hit in the game. Walker was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and one run scored. Carman finished with a 3-for-4 outing. Purser and Jackson both ended up 2-for-3 from the plate and Jackson batted in a game-high six runs.
The Stars travel to Oklahoma Christian for a 7 p.m. game Thursday at Max and Ramona Dobson Field in Oklahoma City.
