BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – For the second time this year, the Mid-America Christian University baseball team took to the field as an underdog against the NAIA #5 Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles. For the second time this season, the Evangels got a great pitching performance and came out on top on the scoreboard.
MACU (18-31) got an outstanding outing from Jake White and Josh Stevenson on the mound, and the offense did just enough, as the Evangels beat the Eagles (44-6) 3-1.
Felix Martinez opened the scoring as the third batter of the game, belting his 11th home run of the season to put MACU up 1-0. The Eagles threatened to even the score in the bottom of the frame, but Jake White induced an inning ending fly out from Ryan Lujan-Leonard to preserve the edge.
The Eagles were able to draw even in the third on an RBI single from Rodolfo Oleta, but a strikeout and a lineout ended the threat and the game remained tied. In the fifth, the Eagles threatened to take the lead, loading the bases with two outs on a hit, an error, and a walk, but White got a groundout from Hunter Henry to end the threat, and neither team threatened again until the ninth.
OKWU starter Jared Gray was lifted for the top of the ninth, and the Evangels immediately went to work. Martinez walked and stole second, and Luis Sanchez followed with a walk. Junior Aracena and Raymond Rodriguez followed with a pair of RBI-singles to give MACU a 3-1 lead.
Stevenson slammed the door with a perfect ninth inning, and MACU claimed the win.
Stevenson (4-2) earned the win in relief of White. White worked six innings and gave up one earned run on five hits. He walked three and struck out six. Stevenson was dominant in three innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out four without issuing a walk. Tyler Shumpert (0-1) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on two hits in just a third of an inning.
Martinez was 2-for-3 in the game with the homer, a double, a walk, a stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI. Six other Evangels had a hit in the game – Antonio Dorado, Diego Pichardo, Sanchez, Aracena, Rodriguez, and Omar Frias.
MACU will wrap up the 2018 Sooner Athletic Conference season this weekend with a trip to Fort Worth, Texas to take on the NAIA #20 Texas Wesleyan University Rams (32-12, 17-7 SAC). Friday's single game will start at 3 p.m., with a double header Saturday beginning at Noon.
