OKLAHOMA CITY – Top-ranked Oklahoma City University dismantled 19-5 No. 23 Campbellsville (Ky.) on Tuesday at Jim Wade Stadium in the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket.
Oklahoma City (47-8) moved onto the tournament championship game 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Stars will take on the winner of the 11 a.m. elimination game between Friends (Kan.) and Campbellsville.
With the win, OCU moves to 13-3 against ranked teams this season and have now scored double-digit runs in seven straight games, all victories.
The Stars opened the scoring in the bottom of the third with four runs thanks to two-run homers from Cory Linn and Branden Grieger. Linn, a senior from Moore, Okla., and Grieger, a senior out of Simi Valley, Calif., have combined to hit seven home runs in just six postseason games this year.
Oklahoma City blew the game open with a 10-run fourth inning to take a 14-0 lead. The inning was highlighted by an RBI double from Shaun Corso, a two-RBI single by Skyler Bean and an opposite field grand slam off the bat of Jared Baker.
Bean, a senior from Garland, Texas, hit an RBI single to plate another run in the fifth. He finished the day 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored.
OCU added three runs in the eighth thanks to RBI singles from Corso and Garrett Foster and one run in the ninth on an RBI double from pinch hitter Caleb Davis.
Mark Simon picked up his team-leading 10th win of the season after pitching seven innings, allowing four runs, one earned and tying a career-high seven strikeouts. Simon, a senior right-hander from Houston, lowered his season earned run average to 3.86.
J.R. Holloway closed out the win for OCU, striking out the side in his one inning of relief.
Every starter for the Stars recorded a hit while eight of the nine recorded at least one RBI.
Baker, a senior from Edmond, Okla., led the way going 2-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored.
NAIA Championship Opening Round
Oklahoma City Bracket
At Oklahoma City
Jim Wade Stadium
All Times CDT
Monday's Results
Friends (Kan.) 5, College of Idaho 1
Campbellsville (Ky.) 3, Mayville State (N.D.) 2
Oklahoma City 10, Friends 5
Tuesday's Results
College of Idaho 4, Mayville State 2, Mayville State eliminated
Oklahoma City 19, Campbellsville 5
Friends 9, College of Idaho 6, College of Idaho eliminated
Wednesday's Games
Game 7: Campbellsville vs. Friends, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Oklahoma City vs. Winner Game 7, 2:30 p.m., championship
Thursday's Game
Game 9: If necessary, noon
