OKLAHOMA CITY - The Mid-America Christian University baseball team took to the field for the final time at home on Saturday, and the Evangels were riding a four game winning streak in Sooner Athletic Conference play. MACU also had a chance to get back to the .500 mark in SAC play, and after the day's play that is what the Evangels were able to accomplish.
MACU (17-21, 11-11 SAC) needed a walk-off win in game two, but the Evangels were able to complete the sweep of Central Christian College (2-37, 1-21 SAC) with wins of 5-2 in game one and 4-3 in the night cap.
The Tigers scored twice in the top of the first inning, but MACU answered right away. The first two MACU hitters were retired, but Felix Martinez and Junior Aracena reached on a single and a walk, and when Colin Minor stepped to the plate, the Evangels had runners at the corners. Aracena stole second base, and Minor followed with a two-run single that tied the game at 2-2.
MACU surged in front with single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth frames. Aracena singled home Diego Pichardo to put MACU on top 3-2 in the bottom of the third, and in the fourth inning, Edgar Martinez walked, stole second and third, and he scored on a throwing error.Kevin Lentzner added an RBI single in the fifth that scored Raymond Rodriguez to extend the Evangels' lead to 5-2.
That was more than enough for Arcangel Soto. Soto (3-4) fired a complete game two-hitter, giving up only the two first inning runs on three walks and he fanned a dozen in the game. Ryan Mota (0-2) gave up three earned runs on five hits in three and two-thirds innings, and he was hit with the loss.
Minor had a pair of singles in three at bats and he drove in two.
Game two took on the feel of a pitchers' duel after each team missed a bases loaded scoring chance in the first. Both teams loaded the bases with two outs before the pitchers, Kyle Fenoglio for CCCK and Noel Diaz for MACU, each got out of the jam with a looking strikeout.
The two hurlers cruised into the fifth inning when Central Christian took the lead with a Sacrifice Fly to take a 1-0 lead. MACU answered with three one consecutive one-out walks in the bottom of the frame, and Aracena scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, but MACU was unable to take the lead.
Central Christian surged ahead in the top of the sixth with a two out single that plated two runs, and the Tigers took that lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Aracena walked to lead off the seventh frame, and pinch hitter Leo Bejaran singled up the middle, and Romi Rinehart reached on an error. that allowed Aracena and Bejaran to score to tie the game, and Rinehart ended up at second. Lentzner followed with a single, and Rinehart moved up to third, and he scored on a dropped sacrifice fly off the bat of Luis Sanchez to end the game in a 4-3 MACU win.
Reid Bukowski (3-1) earned the win in an inning and one-third in relief of Diaz. Bukowski allowed one hit and struck out two in the game. Garrick Johnson (0-5) took the loss, allowing three runs - only one earned - without recording an out.
Minor, Bejaran, and Lentzner had a single in the game, Sanchez had an RBI, and Aracena walked four times and scored twice.
MACU will hit the road to play the final game of their series against Texas Wesleyan University (37-12, 16-7 SAC), which was postponed from April 6. The game will take place at Sycamore Park in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday afternoon at 3 p.m.
