OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite the MACU baseball team recording just nine hits in the series-opening doubleheader against Southwestern at the MACU Baseball Field on Saturday, the Evangels put together an all-around strong pitching effort with some timely hitting as MACU pulled out a pair of 8-5, 4-1 wins.
GAME ONE
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 8, Southwestern 5
- Mid-America Christian (14-2)
- Southwestern (5-8)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
- Jacob Police – 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R, HBP
- Noel McGarry-Doyle – 1-2, RBI, 2 R, BB, HBP
- Dylan Lyddon – 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 SO
SCORING SUMMARY
- BTM 4th – MACU – Yan Ely Adames singled to right, RBI; Jacob Police scored – MACU 1, SWC 0
- BTM 4th – MACU – Noel McGarry-Doyle scored on a wild pitch – MACU 2, SWC 0
- BTM 5th – MACU – Jacob Police singled thru left side, RBI; Carlos Medina scored – MACU 3, SWC 0
- TOP 6th – SWC – Tyler Seboldt singled to 3b, RBI; Logan Penland scored – MACU 3, SWC 1
- TOP 6th – SWC – Andrew Brown singled up the middle, RBI; Josh Crabtree scored – MACU 3, SWC 2
- TOP 6th – SWC – Chris Weatherford singled to left, 2 RBI; Trevor Abitia scored; Tyloer Seboldt scored – SWC 4, MACU 3
- BTM 6th – MACU – Conner McKinney walked, RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 4, SWC 4
- BTM 6th – MACU – Cole Fuecker scored on a passed ball – MACU 5, SWC 4
- BTM 6th – MACU – Carlos Medina hit a sac fly to rf, RBI; Tylor Richey scored – MACU 6, SWC 4
- BTM 6th – MACU – Beau Johnson grounded out to 3b, RBI; K.J. Moo-Young scored – MACU 7, SWC 4
- BTM 6th – MACU – Jacob Police doubled to right-center, RBI; Malachi Fuller scored – MACU 8, SWC 4
- TOP 7th – SWC – Josh Crabtree singled up the middle, RBI; Marcus Burton scored – MACU 8, SWC 5
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its eight runs on five hits and committed one error while Southwestern tallied its five runs on eight hits and also finished with one miscue.
- It was a pitcher's duel through the first three innings as the Moundbuilders recorded the lone hit for either team on a Marcus Burton leadoff single to left. However, after Burton stole second to put a runner in scoring position, MACU starter Zane Robeaux clamped down by inducing a flyout and back-to-back groundouts to get out of the inning unscathed.
- The Evangels ace was cruising through 2.2 innings of work, tallying back-to-back strikeouts to start off the third, but then he had to leave the game due to an injury. Freshman reliever Dylan Lyddon finished off the frame with a fly to center after walking the first batter he faced.
- After Lyddon stranded a pair of runners with a trio of strikeouts in the top of the fourth, the Evangels were finally able to get to Moundbuilders ace Jacob Crabtree. Jacob Police was hit by a pitch to start off the inning, advanced to second a wild pitch and then scored when Yan Ely Adames drove a base hit to right, however, Adames was ultimately gunned down trying to stretch it into a double. Noel McGarry-Doyle and Cole Fuecker then reached on a single up the middle and a walk, both advanced a base on a grounder to third and McGarry-Doyle came across on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
- MACU added an insurance run in the fifth when Carlos Medina reached on a one-out double struck down the left field line that glanced off the glove of the diving third baseman before coming across to score two batters later when Police slapped a chopper that got through the left side.
- Southwestern was able to get to the MACU pen in the top of the sixth as the Moundbuilders pushed across four runs on five hits and a walk. Chris Weatherford's two-RBI single to left with two outs gave SWC its only lead of the contest at 4-3.
- The Evangels were also able to strike against the Southwestern pen in the bottom half of the frame. The first five batters for MACU reached on either walks or were hit by a pitch with Conner McKinney driving in the tying run with a bases-loaded walk. After one scored on a passed ball, Carlos Media drove in another by smacking a sacrifice fly to right to plate Tylor Richey.
- With MACU holding a 6-4 edge, pinch-hitter Beau Johnson knocked in one more by driving in K.J. Moo-Young with an RBI grounder to third before Police rounded out the scoring by smoking a double to the right-center field gap for Malachi Fuller's run to bring it to an 8-4 game.
- The Moundbuilders got one run back on a one-out double by Marcus Burton followed by a RBI single up the middle by Josh Crabtree, but MACU closer Kelton Lachelt induced a flyout and a strikeout to cap off the 8-5 final.
- Lachelt recorded his second win of the season, going 1.2 innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits with one walk and a pair of strikeouts.
- Jacob Police was the lone MACU bat to finish with multiple hits and multiple RBIs, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.
GAME TWO
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 4, Southwestern 1
- Mid-America Christian (15-2)
- Southwestern (5-9)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ryan Harney – W, CG, 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 SO
- Yan Ely Adames – 1-3, RBI, 2 R
- Andrew Enwiya – 0-1, RBI, BB, HBP
SCORING SUMMARY
GAME NOTES
- The Evangels scored their four runs on four hits with an error while the Moundbuilders scored one run on seven hits and notched a pair of errors.
- Mid-America Christian had to rally for the second straight game after Marcus Burton gave Southwestern the early 1-0 lead on a lead-off solo homer that sailed over the centerfield fence.
- MACU had a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the bottom half of the second as the first three batters reached on a pair of singles and a walk. However, the Evangels came up empty when Ryan Reed flew into a double play that saw Andrew Enwiya get gunned down at home trying to score on the fly ball to center before Beau Johnson lined out to the second baseman to end the inning.
- The Evangels battled back to take the lead for good in the bottom of the third. After Jacob Police was pegged by a pitch to lead off the inning, he came around to score when Yan Ely Adames blasted a ball to the right-center field gap, tying the game at 1-1. Adames scored the would-be game-winning run two batters later when Enwiya slapped a fielder's choice chopper to third set the score to 2-1.
- MACU added some insurance in the fifth by taking advantage of a pair of Moundbuilders miscues. After loading the bases with two outs, the Evangels plated two when Adames scored on a wild pitch and was pegged by the catcher's throw back to the pitcher, allowing Noel McGarry-Doyle to also score as Southwestern scrambled to try and get the loose ball.
- With the Evangels leading 4-1 with two outs in the seventh, Southwestern tried to mount a rally when Andrew Brown reached on a dropped flyball by Adames in left before eventually brining the tying run to the plate after Chris Weatherford followed with a bloop single to right. However, Harney was able to close the door on a potential Moundbuilders comeback by getting Joe Finder to fly out to left to end the game.
- By getting the complete-game win, Harney moved into the team-lead with Zane Robeaux with four wins and took sole possession of the team-lead in complete games with his third of the season. Harney limited the damage to only one earned run on Burton's solo shot in the second, allowing seven hits and one walk while tallying four punch-outs on the afternoon.
- Despite MACU being held to its second-lowest hit total of the season, the Evangels were able to generate four runs by taking advantage of Southwestern's defensive and pitching mistakes.
- Adames came up with the only extra-base hit for MACU in the contest with his game-tying RBI double in the third and scored half of the Evangels' runs. Enwiya notched the only other RBI for MACU with his fielder's choice groundout.
- By getting the win, the Evangels improved to 6-1 all-time against the Moundbuilders.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will finish off the four-game series with a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at the MACU Baseball Field.
