Oakland City, IN - In their third River States Conference weekend series in a row at Pinnick Field, the Mighty Oaks hosted the Red Storm of the University of Rio Grande, looking to earn their first conference series win. After opening with a 5-2 nine-inning victory in game one, the Oaks clinched a series win by taking game two, in walk-off fashion, 5-4. OCU completed the sweep, taking the series finale in convincing fashion, winning 16-4.
Senior hurler
Tristan Cummings improved to 3-3 on the season, throwing eight innings in game one, allowing four hits and a walk, his first of the year, while striking out four batters. Cummings gave up two runs, one earned, before
Jake Fishburn entered to finish off the ninth frame, allowing two hits.
Jenrick Rivera had two hits in the win from his catcher position, driving in two runs, while designated hitter
Connor Oxley had a pair of hits and an RBI.
Payton Hall, playing center field, scored twice, reaching on a hit and a walk, while third baseman
Tyler Shamblin scored on a solo home run to left field, while
Austin Morris, who manned second base, reached on a walk and later scored. Right fielder
Will Davis had an RBI.
Game two saw
Justin Hallum take the mound for the Mighty Oaks, throwing six complete innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits and one walk, while fanning four.
Brad Weber earned the win in relief, pitching a perfect top half of the seventh inning.
After trailing 1-0 after two innings, each team scored a run in the fifth, making the score 2-1 in favor of the Red Storm. URG added two more runs in the sixth, sending the game to the final inning with OCU trailing 4-2. Morris, batting in the ninth hole, drew a walk to lead off the inning, followed by a single through the left side by Alvarez. Hall reached on a single, loading the bases. After Rivera struck out, all three runners advanced on a wild pitch. The game ended when Mighty Oak first baseman
Joel Archer hit a towering home run to center field, giving OCU a 5-4 walk off victory.
Alvarez went 2-2 at the plate with a run scored and two walks, while Archer finished 2-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Morris was 1-2 with a walk and a run scored, while Hall finished 1-4 and scored.
The series finished on Sunday with OCU scoring 16 runs, including three in the second inning, two in the third, six in the fourth, and five in the sixth, while allowing just four for the visiting Red Storm.
Pete Smith earned the win, improving to 2-0 on the season, by throwing 4.1 innings, giving up three runs, all earned, on five hits and four walks, while striking out five.
Garrett Whiteker pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, striking out one, while
Brad Weber finished the game by forcing out the final batter of the game.
Oxley was 3-4 on the day, with a double, a home run, five RBI and two runs scored.
Colton White went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while
Will Davis, who also was 2-3 at the plate, added two RBI and two runs. Rivera went 2-4, while
Kyle Stuckey, serving as the courtesy runner, scored three times. Shamblin went 2-4, scored twice and drove in three, and Alvarez went 2-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Hall (1-5), Morris (1-4), and Archer (1-3) all had hits as each OCU batter reached base safely in the game.
In the series, OCU hit .322 as a team, led by Oxley, who was 5-10 with six RBI, a double and a homerun. Rivera and Alvarez both went 4-11 in the series, while Shamblin finished 3-9 on the weekend.
As a staff, the Oakland City pithers finished with a weekend ERA of 3.13 in 23 innings of work, scattering 22 hits and six walks, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, and striking out 14.
OCU is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, March 23, when they will travel to Lebanon, Illinois, to take on McKendree University. The double header is set to begin at 11:00 am.
