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Oklahoma City University Athletics

Oklahoma City University
Home Of Champions|73 National Championships
Gunner Halter
Halter doubled twice for the Stars in their loss to Tabor (Kan.)
12
Winner Tabor (Kan.) TABOR 6-5
3
Oklahoma City OCU 6-6
Winner
Tabor (Kan.) TABOR
6-5
12
Final
3
Oklahoma City OCU
6-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Tabor (Kan.) TABOR 0 0 0 4 6 0 0 2 0 12 11 0
Oklahoma City OCU 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 8 3

W: Kaden Evert (2-0) L: Sparks, Tanner (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Middle Innings Sink No. 10 Baseball in Loss to Tabor

Benefield's solid outing, trio of homers not enough

OKLAHOMA CITY - The 10th-ranked Oklahoma City University baseball team played their first mid-week game of the season on Tuesday, and entering play, the game against Tabor College (Kan.) appeared to be a contrast in styles on paper. The Stars featured a strong offense capable of putting up runs in bunches, while the Blue Jays had tallied only 34 runs in 10 games on the season, relying instead on a pitching staff with a sparkling 2.72 ERA.

When the dust settled on the afternoon's action, The pitching of the Blue Jays had held serve.

Tabor (6-5) held OCU (6-6) to only eight hits in the game, and though three of those hits left the yard, the Stars allowed 12 runs to the Blue Jays, as the Stars fell for the sixth time in their last seven games. The final score was 12-3.

Tabor threatened immediately after a leadoff single and a hit batsman put runners on first and second with no one out, but the Stars used a great defensive play from starting pitcher Tanner Sparks and a break in the form of an out due to an illegal bat to escape the inning unscathed. The Stars were the next team to threaten, loading the bases in the bottom of the third frame, but a fly our ended the threat, and in the fourth, Tabor broke through.

Tabor put the first two on with a walk and a single, and one out later, an RBI base hit put Tabor on the board. The Stars had a chance to get out of the inning without further damage, but an error led to three more Tabor runs before Sparks was able to douse the flames, and the Blue Jays led in the middle of the frame 4-0.

Peyton Crispin launched a solo home run down the right field line to lead off the fourth frame for OCU, but the Stars were unable to make further progress, and in the fifth, the blue Jays broke the game open.

Tabor plated six runs in the fourth inning on only three hits, as they took advantage of wildness on the mound from OCU, stretching their lead to 10-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, OCU clawed a little bit closer as Tyler Williams (8) and Dalton Reed (3) belted back-to-back homers to open the inning, but after a walk to Crispin, a double play ground out - one of two OCU rapped into in the game - killed the rally, and OCU remained down seven, 10-3. Tabor added two RBI singles in the top of the eighth to cap the scoring and provide the final margin of 12-3.

Kaden Evert (2-0) picked up the win in relief for Tabor, throwing the final five innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Sparks (0-2) took the loss for OCU, allowing four runs - only one of which was earned -on four hits in four innings. Chris Bennefield pitched well for OCU in relief, as he threw three and two-thirds innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

Five of OCU's eight hits in the game went for extra bases, as Williams, Reed, and Crispin all homerd, and Gunner Halter roped a pair of doubles. Noah Barks singled twice, and Bryson Lierle notched the other knock for the Stars in the game.

OCU will be at home this weekend for a three game series with MidAmerica Nazarene University (4-2), though the schedule has changed for the weekend. The teams will now play a twi-night twin-bill on Friday at 3 p.m. with a single game on Saturday at Noon.
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