OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University Baseball Evangels hung on for an 8-7 victory in the opening game over the Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) Crimson Wave before winning big 11-1 in the second tilt to complete the sweep today (Feb. 27) at James Curtis Field.
The Evangels led the first game 8-5 going to the seventh, but two errors, a single, a hit by pitch and walk resulted in two runs for the Crimson Wave and the bases loaded.
With the tying run just 90 feet away and the go-ahead run in scoring position, Zach Carley got a strikeout to end the game and pick up the save.
The Evangels were forced to come from behind when the Crimson Wave plated five runs in the second inning.
In the bottom of the frame, the Evangels answered back with four runs of their own to make it a 5-4 game.
The inning started with a double by Jacob Martinez, who scored the first run when Trent Walker traded places with him and delivered an RBI double.
Kevin Lentzner finished the inning with another double that scored Colt Pickens.
The Evangels then took the lead with a three-run fifth inning, keyed by an RBI single from Martinez and run-scoring double by Walker.
MACU picked up an insurance run when Pickens tripled with one out and scored on a groundout by Lentzner.
Josh Stevenson got the start for the Evangels and lasted four innings, allowing five runs and striking out three.
Seth Keith relieved Stevenson to start the fifth and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win.
Walker was three-for-three in the opener with a pair of RBIs, while Lentzner also drove in two runs.
Diontrell Earls and Antonio Reyes each drove in two runs for the Crimson Wave.
In the nightcap, the Evangels broke a 1-1 game wide open with a nine-run explosion in the third inning.
MACU sent 13 batters to the plate in the big inning and got two-run singles from Cameron Kirk, Pickens, Jerry McNew and Martinez. Riley Branum got it started with a single and then walked his second at-bat in the inning and scored twice.
The Evangels' first run of the game was scored in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk to Trey Henley that scored Pickens.
Kevin Voyles turned in an effective start for MACU, giving up only one run in his five innings of work.
Chayse Pittman and Brandon Johnson then each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to finish out the win.
Martinez went three-of-three and Pickens wound up with three RBIs in the second game.
The Evangels will next open up the Sooner Athletic Conference season this weekend at home against Texas Wesleyan University. The series opens with a single game Friday afternoon (Mar. 3) at 1 pm.
