OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University's rally fell short in a 6-5 setback to MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) on Tuesday afternoon at Jim Wade Stadium in the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket.
The third-ranked Stars play next against No. 20 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Oklahoma City (48-5) would need to win out to take the tournament.
Cross Factor hammered a two-run blast beyond the left-field wall to close OCU's deficit to one run in the ninth inning. Factor, a senior from Yukon, Okla., hit his 29th home run of the year.
MidAmerica Nazarene's Nathan Torres closed out the game with the tying run on first base. The Stars became the first team to score earned runs off Torres this year. Torres entered the day with 23.1 innings worked with only an unearned run scored against him.
The Stars took the early 2-0 lead in the first. Factor nailed an RBI base hit to right, while Cade Stephens knocked in OCU's second run with a single to right.
Peyton Crispin pounded a solo shot over the left-field wall to put Oklahoma City on top 3-2 in the third.
MidAmerica Nazarene plated four unanswered runs. Drew Woodley's two-run homer gave MidAmerica Nazarene the lead in the fifth. Joshuan Sandoval homered in the sixth and doubled in another run in the eighth.
MidAmerica Nazarene handed Eli Davis his first loss of the year, moving his record to 10-1.
Factor turned in a 3-for-5 performance with two runs scored and three RBIs. Felix Chenier-Rondeau went 2-for-4, while Crispin added a 2-for-5 showing.
