CHICKASHA, Okla. – Oklahoma City University rolled to a 13-3 triumph over Science & Arts on Monday at Bill Smith Ballpark for the Sooner Athletic Conference baseball tournament championship.
The Stars' Felix Chenier-Rondeau hit two home runs, while Eli Davis turned in a complete-game effort to earn the win. Oklahoma City (30-19) took its 14th SAC Tournament championship and second consecutive conference tournament crown.
OCU earned back-to-back SAC Tournament titles for the first time since 2006-07. The Stars clinched a spot in the NAIA Championship Opening Round coming up May 15-18 at a site to be determined. The NAIA will announce the pairings for the Opening Round at 4 p.m. CST Thursday.
Keith Lytle took over for the late Denney Crabaugh as OCU head coach this year after coaching alongside Crabaugh for 34 years.
"Denney Crabaugh is proud tonight," Lytle said. "That makes my heart feel tremendous knowing he's proud of us today.
"I'm really proud of our guys. This weekend we put almost 50 runs in four games. Offensively we played outstanding in every facet of the game. We ran some successful hit-and-runs this week in addition to hitting some home runs."
Oklahoma City tallied six runs in the fourth inning to seize the lead. Peyton McDowall put 25th-ranked Science & Arts (34-18) on the scoreboard first by nailing a three-run home run in the first inning.
The Stars' rally began as Reese Ratchford smacked a run-scoring base hit through the left side of the infield in the third. In the fourth, Rondeau ignited OCU by lofting a solo shot beyond the right-field wall leading off the bottom of the inning.
Oklahoma City piled up five runs in the fourth with two outs. Aiden Alexander evened the score 3-3 with an RBI single to left, then Ratchford gave OCU the lead when his run-scoring single scooted into left field. Jesse Fonteboa lined a two-run double to left near the foul line, and Trent Kiraly drove in another run with a base hit to left. The Stars owned a 7-3 advantage.
Ratchford nailed an RBI single to center in the fifth, then Hunter Lenochan tacked on a two-run base hit into center in the sixth.
Rondeau polished off the victory by launching a two-run blast that cleared the wall in left.
Davis struck out six in seven innings and gave up two earned runs on six hits and two walks. Davis, a senior left-hander from Shawnee, Okla., studying criminal justice, retired Science & Arts in order in the third and fifth innings. The Stars turned a double play in the fourth. Following the first inning, two Drovers reached second base.
Davis (11-2) notched his fifth complete game of the year. Davis collected his second victory of the tournament after getting the win Friday night with six shutout innings against Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas).
"It goes without saying that Eli Davis, Tyler Polk and Connor Ferguson were outstanding," Lytle said of the OCU pitching. "Eli was the blood and guts. He told me immediately after pitching Friday, 'I'm pitching Monday. If we get to Monday, I want the ball.' Today he said, 'Keith, you're not taking me out of this game.' He was the catalyst as he was all year. He was the Sooner Athletic Conference pitcher of the year, and he proved that with his tenacity. He's a warrior. When the scoreboard comes on, in all the years Denney and I have been here, it's hard to say we've had a pitcher with more of a warrior mentality than him."
Ratchford, a freshman from Sulphur, Okla., posted a 3-for-5 effort with three RBIs, including the winning RBI. Rondeau, a junior from Blainville, Ontario, Canada, majoring in psychology, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three runs driven in. Rondeau clouted two homers in a game for the second time this year.
Lenochan, a sophomore business administration major from Edmond, Okla., turned in a 2-for-3 showing with two RBIs and a run scored, while Fonteboa, a senior exercise science major from Las Vegas, had a 2-for-5 day with two RBIs and a run scored for Oklahoma City.
Alexander, a freshman from Yukon, Okla., majoring in exercise science, scored three runs as part of a 2-for-5 performance with an RBI. Chad Pike, a senior business administration major from Watermill, N.Y., went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two doubles, and Kiraly, a junior finance major from Farmington, N.M., went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run knocked in.
OCU reached double digits in runs scored for the 12th time this year.
