OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite the weather, the Mid-America Christian University and Southwestern Christian University baseball teams met up at Dolese Park in Oklahoma City for the first two games of a three game weekend series in Sooner Athletic Conference action.
MACU (12-26, 6-13 SAC) rallied from a 5-1 deficit in game one to tie the game, but they dropped the contest 6-5 to SCU (24-12, 11-8 SAC) on a walk-off fielder's choice, and the Eagles held a 4-0 lead heading to the top of the third inning of game two when it was suspended due to deteriorating field conditions.
Diego Pichardo reached base on a two-base error with one out in the top of the first inning of game one, and he scored one out later on an RBI single from Luis Sanchez to give MACU a 1-0 lead.
The lead was short-lived, however, as on the second pitch of the bottom of the inning, Manny Lopez launched a solo home run over the center field fence to tie the game at 1-1. Two batters later, Diogen Ceballos homered to left field to give SCU the lead, and before the frame was over, SCU had put up five runs, aided by two MACU errors to take a 5-1 lead.
Pichardo beat out an infield single with two outs in the top of the third frame, and that ignited a two-out rally for the Evangels. Felix Martinez lined a 1-2 pitch to right-center for a base hit, and Sanchez coaxed a four pitch walk to load the bases with two away. SCU hurler Juan Carlos Gonzalez uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Pichardo to score and the other two to move up, and Junior Aracena smashed a line drive to right field, but Kelvin Fabian made a sliding catch to keep the lead at 5-2, and that remained the score into the seventh inning.
Axel Poesmans drew a four pitch walk with one out in the top of the seventh, and Antonio Dorado followed with a line drive single back through the middle to put runners at first and second with one away. Poesmans moved to third on a fly out from Pichardo, and that brought Martinez to the plate. Martinez – batting as a pinch hitter as he had been lifted defensively before the bottom of sixth frame – fell into an 0-2 hole, but then he belted a 3-run, game-tying homer to left center as MACU knotted the game at 5-5.
Anthony Ward lifted a fly ball down the right field line to lead off the bottom of the seventh that glanced out of the glove of Dorado for a double as he attempted to make a sliding catch, and Ward moved up to third on a throwing error on the play. Relief pitcher Seth Keith struck out Ceballos, and the Evangels intentionally walked both Slayton Vaughan and Cody Robinson to load the bases and set up the double play at any base. Keith induced a ground ball from Trevor Hudgins, but it was hit to the back-hand side of Martinez, and though the Evangels were able to get an out at second, the relay to first was not in time and the Eagles claimed the win, 6-5.
Gonzalez (7-2) earned the win, throwing a complete game and giving up five runs on seven hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts. Keith (2-5) took the loss in relief of Keisy Portorreal, who threw six innings and gave up five runs – only two of which were earned – on seven hits, one walk, and 10 punch outs.
Martinez was 2-for-3 in the game with a single, the home run, and three RBIs; Sanchez was 2-for-3 with a pair of base knocks, a walk, and an RBI; and Pichardo was 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
SCU struck first in game two, plating an unearned run on a throwing error with two away in the top of the first. Back-to-back RBI hits in the bottom of the second, including a two-RBI double by Lopez, helped SCU open a 4-0 lead, but prior to the top of the third, the umpires and both coaches got together along the third base line.
The games had been played in a light mist that started about 10 minutes prior to the first pitch of game one. It was decided at that meeting that the mist had deteriorated field conditions far enough that the game could not continue, and the decision was made to suspend play.
The score of 4-0 remains, and the game will be resumed at MACU on Saturday prior to the series finale. The resumption will take place at noon, with the regularly scheduled, nine-inning game to follow.
