OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University benefited from a complete-game shutout thrown by Rich Hawkins to take the second game of the series with Oklahoma Christian 6-0 on Friday at Jim Wade Stadium.
Hawkins threw 144 pitches en route to the complete-game shutout. He gave up eight hits and struck out eight to pick up his eighth win on the season. The Stars, ranked third in NAIA baseball, move to 37-8, 23-3 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Offensively, OCU powered to the win with a four-run second inning. The first run of the night came when Oklahoma Christian pitcher Conner Williams hit Chad Carman when the bases were loaded. With the bases still jacked, Ruben Sosa hit an RBI single to right field to score Scott Dalrymple.
OCU added another in the fifth when Miguel Beltran singled to left center to score Walker. The Stars left the bases loaded after Oklahoma Christian's Tyler Gipson snagged a foul ball for the third out to end the inning.
The Stars got out of a bases loaded jam of their own in the top of the eighth. OCU's second out came after a bullet relay thrown by right fielder Matt Presley allowed Carman to tag Taylor Parcus out at the plate. With the bases still loaded, OCU's Dearth Parker made a play at third to end the inning.
OCU put their sixth and final run on the board in the bottom of the eighth. Sosa started the inning with a single up the middle and proceeded to steal both second and third. Beltran pounded a sacrifice fly to right and brought in Sosa for the final run of the evening.
Sosa and Walker both went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run in the contest for the Stars.
OCU finishes off the three-game series with a rubber match at Oklahoma Christian at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dobson Field.
