OKLAHOMA CITY – Madison Spencer pitched his first career complete game shutout in the Mid-America Christian University Evangels' 2017 season opener, a 2-0 victory over the Texas College Steers today (Feb. 3) at James Curtis Field. The Steers then salvaged a split of the twinbill with an 8-6 win in the second game.
Spencer struck out six and walked only two in his seven innings on the mound.
The Evangels' offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Chevin Noone that plated Jerry McNew for a 1-0 lead.
Spencer then was given an insurance run when Kevin Lentzner scored off an error in the bottom of the sixth.
Noone was 2-of-3 at the plate with a double in the opening game for the Evangels.
The Steers jumped on the Evangels early in the nightcap, scoring one run in the first inning before a two-run homer by Marques Irving finished a four-run second frame that made it 5-0.
After the Steers scored two more in the third with the benefit of a pair of MACU miscues, Axel Posemans put the Evangels on the board in a big way with his first career homer, a three-run blast that made it a four-run game.
The Steers added a run on another error in the fourth, only to have the Evangels come even closer on a two-run double by Ryan Moseley and an RBI single by Posemans in the bottom of the inning to come within two runs.
But that's all the Evangels would get, as Kiwa Pecararo, David Ortiz and Justin Olivarez combined to hold MACU scoreless over the final three innings.
The Evangels made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, putting two men on base to bring the winning run to the plate.
Olivarez then came on though and got a strikeout to close out the win for the Steers.
Poesmans went 2-of-4 with four RBIs and Lentzner also had two hits in the second game for the Evangels.
The Steers got two hits each from Irving and Kylan Ricks and Brayden Rawlinson drove in two runs.
Brandon Johnson pitched two scoreless frames in relief for the Evangels and Chayse Pittman also threw a scoreless inning.
The Evangels and Steers will play another doubleheader tomorrow (Feb. 4) starting at noon to finish the four-game series.
