OKLAHOMA CITY – Jerry McNew hit two home runs and drove in six RBIs to lead the Mid-America Christian University Evangels to a 13-5 victory over the St. Gregory's University Cavaliers in the opening game of a doubleheader today (Mar. 5) at James Curtis Field. MACU then scored two in the seventh to defeat the Cavaliers 2-1 in the second game to complete its first conference series sweep since the 2012 season.
The Evangels have now won eight of their last nine games overall to move to 10-8 overall and 3-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
After Easton Bennett hit a two-run homer in the first inning of the opener to put the Cavaliers on top, it was all Evangels as McNew answered with his first three-run homer, a towering shot over the left field wall.
The Evangels added another run in the first on an RBI single by Aaron Conway before McNew went deep again in the second, another three-run shot that made it 7-3.
Colt Pickens hit a sacrifice fly in a three-run third inning and Cale Backward singled home a run in the fourth inning.
Riley Branum then got in the home run act with a two-run blast to right in the bottom of the fifth.
Chevin Noone started on the mound for the Evangels in the opener and pitched 5 1/3 with five runs allowed to get the win. Chayse Pittman followed him and got the final two outs of the sixth and Zach Carley threw a scoreless seventh inning.
Noone also helped himself at the plate with three hits in three at-bats and three runs scored. Reggie Lindsey drove in two runs and also scored twice.
The nightcap was a pitcher's duel between the Evangels' Junior Obeso and SGU's David Martinez.
It was scoreless through the first four innings until the Cavaliers broke through for an RBI single by Michael Garcia in the fifth.
In the bottom of the sixth, McNew came up with a runner on and two outs and narrowly missed his third homer of the day when his long fly ball hung up and was caught at the wall by SGU centerfielder Connor Parsells.
Down to their last chance in the seventh, the Evangels loaded the bases and Ryan Moseley worked a two-out walk that chased home Backward to tie the score. Noone then came up and reached on an error that scored Conway for the winning run.
Obeso turned in another strong outing for the Evangels, going seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks with one run allowed.
Martinez was also solid for the Cavaliers, giving up two runs, one earned in his 6 2/3 innings.
Pickens had two hits in the second game and Moseley's game-tying walk was his third free pass of the game.
The Evangels will next host NCAA D-II member and former SAC member Rogers State University Tuesday afternoon (Mar. 8) at 2 p.m.
