A day after the OCU baseball team improved their record to 9-6 by beating Robert Morris University-Springfield, the Oaks concluded their four game series by taking both games of day two at Pinnick Field. Game one saw the Oaks pull away to win by the lopsided margin of 14-2, while the series finale was much more in doubt, as OCU won in walk off fashion, 8-7.
Dillon Whitten took the mound for the Oaks in game one, pitching four complete innings to earn the win, giving up two hits, one unearned run, while striking out nine.
Isaiah Barber threw two innings in relief, allowing one hit while striking out three, and
Austin Kelley closed out the game in the final inning, giving up one earned run on two hits.
Noah Baugher added to his team lead in hits, going 2-4 at the plate to go with a walk and a stolen base, including a double and a home run, the first of his collegiate career, while picking up game highs in runs, with three, and runs batted in, with four.
Jacob Bedwell went 2-3, also with a double and a homer, his first in an OCU uniform, while joining Baugher with four RBI to go with two runs scored.
Adrian Navarro also connected on his first collegiate home run, finishing 2-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored.
Colton White was 2-4 with two runs and a steal, while
Devan Franz went 1-3 at the plate with a double, three runs batted in, and a run scored.
Dillon Whitten went 1-3 with an RBI and a run, while
Will Davis went 1-3 with two runs scored, and
Kyle Stuckey added another run.
OCU head coach
T-Ray Fletcher sent
Will Davis to the mound to start the final game of the series. Davis lasted five complete innings, facing one batter in the sixth, allowing two earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out one.
Gabriel Walker threw one and a third innings in relief, giving up five runs, all earned, on five hits and a walk, while striking out three.
Matthew Stevenson pitched a third of an inning, giving up two hits and striking out one, while
Jesse Reed came in to retire the final out, earning his first win of the season.
Bedwell was the only OCU player with more than one hit in game two, going 2-3 at the plate, walking once, and scoring three runs.
Tyler Shamblin hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning, with the Oaks leading 3-2, his first home run as an Oak, finishing with four RBI and two runs scored, while walking once. Morris hit his second homer of the season, driving in two runs and walking once, while Baugher went 1-2 with two walks.
Colton White reached on a walk and scored, while Whitten went 1-4 with a run.
Jenrick Rivera had the walk off single, a deep shot to left-center field, his only hit and RBI of the game.
Next up for the Mighty Oaks will be a three-game series against Johnson University, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Game one is scheduled to start at 3:00 on Monday, March 25, followed by a double header at 3:00 on Tuesday, March 26.
