GOODWELL, Okla. – Junior first baseman Joe Balak came up clutch for the Mid-America Christian baseball team in the series finale at Oklahoma Panhandle State, slapping a 2-out, 2-RBI single to right center in the top of the ninth to break the tie as the Evangels held on for the 8-6 victory to salvage a game in the series.
 
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 8, Oklahoma Panhandle State 6
  • Mid-America Christian (21-20, 8-10 SAC)
  • Oklahoma Panhandle State (11-30, 6-15 SAC)

PITCHING DECISION

• Win: Bernardo Moreno (1-2)
• Loss: Josiah Roundtree (0-6)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Joe Balak – 3-5, 2B, 4 RBI, R
• Edgar Martinez – 4-5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
• Frensly Leito – 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 9 SO
• Bernardo Moreno – W, 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 SO

SCORING SUMMARY

• Bottom 2^nd – OPSU – Luis Dermas singled to left, 2 RBI; Chris Schraer scored; Tucker Bond scored – OPSU 2, MACU 0
• Bottom 2^nd – OPSU – Ethan Hunt doubled to right-center, 3 RBI; Luis Dermas scored; Mekhi Edwards scored; Logan Patterson scored – OPSU 5, MACU 0
• Top 3^rd – MACU – Edgar Martinez homered to left field, 2 RBI; Isaiah Haddad scored – OPSU 5, MACU 2
• Top 4^th – MACU – Brandon Reese doubled to left-center, 2 RBI; Joe Balak scored; Chance Bufford scored – OPSU 5, MACU 4
• Top 5^th – MACU – Joe Balak doubled to center, 2 RBI; Edgar Martinez scored; Julian Fernandez scored – MACU 6, OPSU 5
• Bottom 6^th – OPSU – Mekhi Edwards doubled to left, RBI; Ryan Mitchell scored – MACU 6, OPSU 6
• Top 9^th – MACU – Joe Balak singled to right-center, 2 RBI; Brandon Reese scored; Edgar Martinez scored – MACU 8, OPSU 6

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its eight runs on 10 hits and committed three errors while Oklahoma Panhandle State scored its six runs on an identical 10 hits and three miscues.
• Joe Balak turned in his third three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-5 with a team-high four RBIs to go with a run scored. It was also the third game on the year where Balak drove in four runs with the bat.
• Edgar Martinez recorded his fourth four-hit game in his fourth season with the Evangels, going 4-for-5 with a homer, three runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases. The homer in the third inning was his third of the season, all coming during the month of April.
• Frensly Leito tossed five stellar outings of relief, allowing just one earned run on three hits and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts. It was his longest outing of the 2021 campaign.
• Bernardo Moreno picked up his first win of the year after throwing the final two innings. Moreno was able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth by getting Ethan Hunt to ground into a fielder's choice to end the frame. He got out of another jam in the ninth when the winning run came to the plate, but struck out Luis Dermas to end it.

NEXT UP

• Mid-America Christian will face a tough non-conference test on Tuesday as the Evangels will host No. 7 Oklahoma Wesleyan for noon first pitch.