OKLAHOMA CITY - All weekend long the Mid-America Christian University baseball team had chances to score runs against the Harris-Stowe State University Hornets. Unfortunately for MACU, the Evangels were unable to pick up a clutch hit, and the Evangels dropped a pair of close decisions to the Hornets, who finished the series sweep.
MACU (2-6) battled back from early deficits in both games, but the Evangels stranded 14 runners on base in the game, and the Hornets (5-6) took both games by identical 6-4 scores.
Harris-Stowe struck first in game one, manufacturing a pair of runs in the first inning on only one hit. The Evangels loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, and Manuel Hazoury hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Austin Cooper to cut the deficit in half. The pattern repeated itself in the third when the Hornets got a two-out two run single, and MACU answered with an RBI groundout from Felix Martinez that kept the Evangels within two runs at 4-2.
After Noel Diaz completed the shutdown inning for MACU in the top of the fourth frame, the Evangels capitalized again in the bottom of the frame. Romi Rinehart singled with one out in the inning, and Edgar Martinez followed with a bunt single down the third base line. On the play, HSSU pitcher Stephen Wells raced over to the line, and in trying to make the play, he fired the ball down the right field line, allowing Rinehart to score and Martinez to race all the way to third base. Oliver Fernandez followed with a sac fly to score Martinez and tie the game at 4-4.
That score held into the sixth inning when the Hornets plated two runs, one on a one-out double, and the other on a two-out base hit, and the Evangels were unable to get a baserunner in the final two innings, as HSSU took the win 6-4.
The Hornets scored six runs on nine hits with one error, and MACU plated four runs on eight hits with three errors.
Wells (1-2) battled his way to a complete game victory, as he allowed four runs - two earned - on eight hits and three walks while he fanned eight. Diaz (0-1) took the tough luck loss, giving up two earned runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts in two and one-third innings of work.
Edgar Martinez was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in the game, and Fernandez also had a pair of hits and an RBI. Felix Martinez also doubled and drove in a run.
HSSU struck first again in the series finale. The Hornets plated three runs in the first inning, with two of them coming on the third home run of the weekend from Jake Benolken, and they added one in the third frame to take a 4-0 lead.
The Evangels did not go away though. Raymond Rodriguez drove in Cooper on a ground out in the bottom of the fourth inning, and two batters later, Rinehart singled down the third base line to score Junior Aracena and cut the deficit to 4-2. After HSSU pushed across an insurance run in the top of the fifth, MACU answered immediately with a double from Yan Ely Adames that scored Luis Sanchez to again pull MACU within two runs.
Harris-Stowe added another run in the top of the seventh on a two-out single off of Reid Bukowski, but the Evangels immediately got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning. Edgar Martinez and Hazoury hit back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but MACU was only able to plate one run in the inning, and the Hornets held on to win 6-4.
Both teams had nine hits and one error in the game.
Drew Sigman (1-0) threw six innings and allowed four earned runs on nine hits and two walks while he fanned three Evangels. Pedro Reyes bounced back after a rough start to throw five innings, and he gave up five earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Reyes also had three strikeouts. Brian Myers (1) retired the final three batters in order to earn the save.
Edgar Martinez and Adames each has two hits in the game, and Adames and Aracena both doubled for MACU.
The Evangels will play their final non-conference weekend next weekend in Springfield, Missouri, The Evangels will meet the Lincoln College (Ill.) Lynx (0-0) at Evangel University for a 3-game weekend set. The teams will play a single nine-inning game at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 22, and a double-header on Saturday, February 23, at 12 p.m.
