OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 5 ranked Oklahoma City University is alone in first place in the Sooner Athletic Conference after splitting a doubleheader with second place Mid-America Christian on Saturday at MACU Baseball Field. The Stars lost the opener 3-2 in extra innings before rallying for a decisive 8-2 win in the series finale.
MACU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first of the opener on a leadoff home run by Isaiah Leon. OCU would battle back to take a 2-1 lead on a RBI single by senior first baseman
Peyton Crispin in the third and a solo home run by senior third baseman
Frederic Walter in the fourth inning.
A lead-off hit batter and a couple of throwing errors allowed the Evangels to score an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning to even the score at 2-2.
The score remained tied until MACU's Andrew Enwiya blasted a lead-off walk-off homer to left field off of Star reliever
Braden Hill in the bottom of the ninth.
Senior
Tanner Schoeninger was outstanding in a hard luck no-decision outing for the Stars. He allowed one hit (the leadoff homer) and two runs (one earned) with nine strikeouts and four walks in an eight-inning outing.
OCU (25-3, 10-2 SAC) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first in game two on RBI base hits by senior centerfielder
Cross Factor, Crispin and senior designated hitter
Cade Stephens.
Crispin increased the lead to 4-0 with a RBI groundout in the top of the third inning. MACU (21-8, 9-3 SAC) scored twice in the bottom of the frame to cut OCU's lead to 4-2.
Solo homers by senior second baseman
Noah Barks and Factor in the fifth inning increased OCU's lead to 6-2. The scoring was topped off by a RBI single by sophomore catcher
Hunter Brown in the sixth and a solo homer by Crispin in the seventh inning.
Senior
Tanner Sparks (3-1) earned the win with his first complete game effort of the season. He threw 106 pitches and allowed two runs on five hits with a season-high tying eight strikeouts and one walk.
After being limited to five hits in game one, the Stars erupted for 12 hits to win game two.
OCU returns to action on Monday with a non-conference home game against Oklahoma Wesleyan. First pitched is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Jim Wade Stadium.
