OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian baseball team put together a run for the ages, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the eighth as the Evangels rallied to defeat Friends by a score of 9-5 at the MACU Baseball Field on Wednesday afternoon, picking up their first win against the Falcons since the 2016 season.
 
Mid-America Christian vs. Friends
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 9, Friends 5
  • Mid-America Christian (23-10)
  • Friends (23-12)

PITCHING DECISION

• Win: Joshua Fernandez (1-0)
• Loss: Preston Lewis (0-1)

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 2^nd – FRND – Pablo Oden homered to left, 2 RBI; Buster Hardman scored – FRND 2, MACU 0
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Isaiah Leon singled up the middle, RBI; Payton Walk scored – FRND 2, MACU 1
• BTM 3^rd – MACU – Blake Diggle singled to right, RBI; Christian Guevara scored  – MACU 2, FRND 2
• TOP 5^th – FRND – Oliver Dunn homered to left, RBI  – FRND 3, MACU 2
• TOP 7^th – FRND – Max Coyt singled up the middle, RBI; Caleb Coats scored  – FRND 4, MACU 2
• TOP 7^th – FRND – Buster Hardman reached on throwing error by 3b; Elerie Rivera scored on error  – FRND 5, MACU 2
• BTM 8^th – MACU – Payton Walk doubled down lf line, 2 RBI; Andres Gonzalez scored; Austin Wood scored  – FRND 5, MACU 4
• BTM 8^th – MACU – Payton Walk scored on wild pitch  – MACU 5, FRND 5
• BTM 8^th – MACU – Blake Diggle singled to center, RBI; Isaiah Leon scored  – MACU 6, FRND 5
• BTM 8^th – MACU – Andrew Enwiya doubled to left, RBI; Ryan Reed scored  – MACU 7, FRND 5
• BTM 8^th – MACU – German Sepulveda singled to left, 2 RBI; Caden Harris scored; Julian Martinez scored – MACU 9, FRND 5

TOP PERFORMERS

• Blake Diggle – 4-5, 2 RBI
• Payton Walk – 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Isaiah Leon – 2-3, RBI, R, 2 BB

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its nine runs on 14 hits and committed an error while Friends tallied its five runs on seven hits with one miscue.
• The Evangels picked up their first win against Friends since coming away with a 12-0 win on Apr. 19, 2016 in Wichita, Kan. and notched their first win against the Falcons at the MACU Baseball Field since turning in an 11-9 result on Apr. 22, 2014.
• After falling behind early 2-0 on a two-run homer to left in the second inning to Pablo Oden, the Evangels battled back in the bottom of the third as Payton Walk led off the inning with a double down the left field line and after Yan Ely Adames reached on a walk, Isaiah Leon drove in the first run of the game on a single hit back up the middle.
• Following a Ryan Reed hit-by-pitch to load the bases, Blake Diggle tied the game up by hitting a deep flyball that just sailed over the right fielder's outstretched arm, plating pinch-runner Christian Guevara to make it a 2-2 game.
• The Evangels missed some chances to take the lead after Leon was tagged out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch before strikeouts of Andrew Enwiya and Devon Villanueva ended the run.
• The Falcons reclaimed the lead with one out in the fifth as Oliver Dunn cranked a solo home run over the scoreboard in left field to make it a 3-2 contest.
• Friends threatened once again in the top of the fifth by getting runners to second and third with one out, but MACU starter Zane Robeaux buckled down to get Pryce Anderson to strike out and Niquan Benjamin to flyout to right to end the inning unscathed.
• The Falcons pushed across a pair of insurance runs in the seventh as a Max Coyt RBI single and a Ryan Reed throwing error with two outs resulted in Elerie Rivera scoring from second, extending the edge to 5-2.
• In the bottom of the eighth, the Evangels made their charge. Following an Austin Wood walk and Andres Gonzalez reaching on a fielding error with one out, Walk trimmed the deficit to one when he smashed a two-RBI double down the left field line, bringing the score to 5-4. MACU tied it up just moments later when Falcons reliever Preston Lewis threw a wild pitch, allowing Walk to score from third.
• Mid-America Christian captured its first and only lead three batters later. After Leon drew a walk and Reed singled through the left side, Diggle smashed a single to center to score Leon, bringing the score to 6-5. Enwiya followed it up with a double to the left corner to score Leon and then pinch-hitter German Sepulveda slapped a two-RBI single to left to plate pinch-runners Julian Martinez and Caden Harris to cap the scoring at 9-5.
• Senior lefty Joshua Fernandez recorded his first win of the season after throwing a three-up, three-down top of the second before Kelton Lachelt shut the door by going 1-2-3 in the ninth to wrap-up the 9-5 final.
• Blake Diggle led the MACU bats with his first career four-hit game, slashing 4-for-5 with two RBIs while Payton Walk also finished with a pair driven in after going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
• German Sepulveda was also responsible for two of MACU's eight RBIs with his pinch-hit single in the eighth.
• Despite not getting a decision, Zane Robeaux pitched well by allowing only three runs, two earned on five hits, three walks and seven strikeouts over six innings of work.

UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will be back at home at the MACU Baseball Field on Friday as the Evangels will open a four-game non-conference series against Bacone. The first pitch for the opening game is slated for noon.