SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Oklahoma City University baseball team split a doubleheader against Evangel (Mo.) on Tuesday at the Evangel Baseball and Softball Complex. The Stars won the first game 13-8, but dropped their first game of the season 9-8 in game two.
Oklahoma City moved to 5-1 on the season while Evangel is now 1-5. Garrett Foster, a junior from Ardmore, Okla., sparked the Stars with a triple and four RBIs in the first game, while Shaun Corso hit two home runs on the day.
In game one, OCU jumped ahead immediately and never looked back, putting up six runs in the top of the first. The six-run outburst began with five straight singles to start the game which led to three Stars' runs. Then, with runners on second and third, Foster delivered a bases-clearing triple to give Oklahoma City a commanding 5-0 lead. Foster scored on the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly by Jerame Littell.
Runs seven through nine for OCU came as result of the bats of Branden Grieger and Hunter Aguirre. In the second, Grieger tripled and reached home on a single by Aguirre. The next inning, Greiger recorded his second extra-base hit of the game, as he doubled home Skyler Bean. Aguirre then traded places with Greiger and drove home his second run of the day.
Greiger and Aguirre combined to go 9-for-10 with three extra-base hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.
OCU added three more runs in the fourth to go up 12-1 thanks in large part to a two-RBI double off the bat of Foster. Foster also had a productive game one, going 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
The 13th run of the game for the Stars came when Corso lifted a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence.
Oklahoma City got a solid start from Mark Simon as the senior went five innings, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out five. Ken Williams closed it out for OCU.
In game two, Oklahoma City held a 5-2 lead in the fifth, but Evangel rallied. OCU broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third when Jared Baker roped his fifth double of the season into left field to drive home Caleb Davis. Evangel answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the third on a single, a balk, a sac bunt and an error.
The Stars answered back in the top of the fourth then Corso hit his second home run of the day. Corso, a junior from Lancaster, Pa., led the OCU offense in game two, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and the big fly.
Evangel answered in the bottom half with a run of their own, but OCU pitcher Holden Lyons got a double play on a fly ball and an appeal at third base to get out of the inning.
Oklahoma City created some separation in the fifth thanks to a double from Corso that drove in two to give the Stars a 5-2 advantage.
Once again, however, Evangel had an answer in the bottom half. A double from Dustin Hargus after back-to-back singles to start the inning brought home the first two runs of the inning. Austin Alfrey singled up the middle to give Evangel their first lead of the day.
The Crusaders added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, and needed all of them to hold on to the victory. After a double, a single and a sacrifice fly brought OCU to within one, the Stars' rally stalled.
The Stars welcome MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) to Oklahoma City 2 p.m. this Friday at Jim Wade Stadium.