OKLAHOMA CITY - Entering the 2019 Sooner Athletic Conference baseball tournament, the Mid-America Christian University Evangels knew that for them to have a chance to win the tournament, they needed to stay in the winners' bracket as long as possible.
On Sunday afternoon, Ben Donnell helped them do just that.
MACU (19-24) used a pair of three runs innings to build a 6-1 lead over NAIA #14 Texas Wesleyan University (41-13). and Donnell and Reid Bukowski made it stand up as MACU took the win 6-4 in their tournament opener.
Texas Wesleyan struck first in the bottom of the third inning, but Donnell managed to limit the damage to only one run and the game remained 1-0 into the top of the sixth frame.
In the sixth, Diego Pichardo led off with a double, and one out later, Felix Martinez (6) blasted a line drive home run to left field to give MACU a 2-1 lead. Edgar Martinez singled home Luis Sanchez later in the inning, and after Donnell worked a scoreless sixth in the bottom half, MACU added three more runs in the seventh on singles from Sanchez and Yan Ely Adames.
Texas Wesleyan plated three runs in the top of the eighth as Donnell tired and was lifted from the game, but RBukowski came in and closed the door to preserve the 6-4 win.
Donnell (5-6) threw seven innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts in the win. Parker Robinson (6-1) gave up three earned on six hits in five and two-thirds innings in the loss.
Pichardo had a pair of doubles and two runs scored, Sanchez singled twice and drove in two, and Felix Martinez had the two-run home run. Edgar Martinez also had two singles.
The win pushed the Evangels into the winners' bracket against Oklahoma City University on Sunday night, but the game could not be completed before heavy rains forced the suspension of play with OCU leading 8-2 in the top of the seventh inning.
The Evangels and Stars will resume their game on Monday when the field is deemed playable by the umpires. The winner will advance to the bracket title game, while the loser will face the Rams in an elimination contest.
