OKLAHOMA CITY – Tyler Williams and Bryson Lierle hit walk-off home runs to boost Oklahoma City University past Central Methodist (Mo.) 5-4 in eight innings and 5-2 against Texas A&M-Texarkana on Sunday at Jim Wade Stadium.
OCU, ranked eighth in NAIA baseball, improved to 10-1 on the season. Lierle, a junior from Altus, Okla., goes went 2-for-6 on the day while driving in four runs.
Central Methodist, ranked 21st, built a 4-0 lead on Riley Richarz' run-scoring single in the sixth inning.
Tyler Williams gave the Stars their first run on a fielder's choice grounder in the sixth.
OCU rallied to tie the game in the seventh. Lierle smacked a double to deep center field to score one run. Noah Barks added a single to center to drive home another run. Jared Hazeldine scored on the second broken-up double play by OCU, this time when Quin Walbergh dove head first into first base just beating the throw over by CMU's second baseman, tying the game at 4-4 to force extra innings.
The Stars' Tyler Milligan, a senior right-hander from Binger, Okla., kept Central Methodist scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings, striking out four. Chris Goldston, a freshman from Leedey, Okla., got Damian Rodriquez to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Central Methodist's rally ended on Richarz' fly out to center.
Tyler Williams started the eighth for OCU by unloading on the 1-2 pitch and sending the ball over the right field wall. Noah Barks, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., produced a 3-for-4 game with an RBI, while Tyler Williams went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run.
In the second game, Oklahoma City's Dylan Grove and Kolin Marley combine to throw a no-hitter, Grove, a senior from Moore, Okla., worked five innings and fanned four while giving up an unearned run. Kolin Marley, a junior from Norman, Okla., recorded his first win of the season by throwing the final two innings.
Texas A&M-Texarkana went out in front in the fourth when Brayden Cook scored on a broken up double play where Jake MacDonald reached base for TAMUT.
The Stars answered in the bottom of the fourth when Tyler Williams scored on a Caleb Davis sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game at 1-1.
Texas A&M-Texarkana picked up another run in the sixth when Cook scored when Tye Holliday reached on an error to put TAMUT up 2-1.
OCU rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Barks touched the plate on an error to tie it at 2-2. Lierle launched the 0-2 pitch over the scoreboard in right for the walk-off three-run homer.
Oklahoma City returns to action next weekend hosting MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) at 3 p.m. Friday.