OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU baseball team bounced back from a series-opening loss to Science & Arts with a productive opening game from the plate in a 9-5 victory, but the Evangels suffered their first series loss of the 2023 campaign when the Drovers shut down MACU in a 1-0 defeat in game two of the Saturday doubleheader at Bill Smith Ballpark.
GAME ONE
SCORE
- Mid-America Christian 9, Science & Arts 5
- Mid-America Christian (19-5, 3-2 SAC)
- Science & Arts (11-11, 1-4 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
- Conner McKinney – 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
- Guillermo Velasco – 2-3, 2 RBI
- Noel McGarry-Doyle – 1-2, RBI, 2 R, BB, HBP, SB
- Isaac Baez – W, 5 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 SO
SCORING SUMMARY
- TOP 1st – MACU – Conner McKinney singled thru left side, RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 1, USAO 0
- BTM 2nd – USAO – Gage Gaunt homered to right-center, RBI – MACU 1, USAO 1
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Noel McGarry-Doyle singled to left, RBI; Tylor Richey scored – MACU 2, USAO 1
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Carlos Medina walked, RBI; Noel McGarry-Doyle scored – MACU 3, USAO 1
- TOP 3rd – MACU – Guillermo Velasco singled to right-center, 2 RBI; Cole Fuecker scored; Andrew Enwiya scored – MACU 5, USAO 1
- BTM 3rd – USAO – Peyton McDowall doubled to left, 2 RBI; Gabriel Arroyo scored; Nick Fleckenstein scored – MACU 5, USAO 3
- TOP 5th – MACU – Conner McKinney homered to left-center, 2 RBI; Caden Harris scored – MACU 7, USAO 3
- BTM 6th – USAO – Will Hoch singled up the middle, 2 RBI; Gage Gaunt scored; Christopher Martinez scored – MACU 7, USAO 5
- TOP 7th – MACU – George Gallardo doubled to left, 2 RBI; K.J. Moo-Young scored; Makael Shaw scored – MACU 9, USAO 5
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored its nine runs on eight hits and committed two errors while Science & Arts scored five runs on six hits and made one defensive miscue.
- The Evangels featured a balanced lineup with six different players reaching base on a hit and eight total batter via a walk or hit-by-pitch.
- Junior first baseman Conner McKinney put together his best game as an Evangel, slashing 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two of which coming off a two-run homer in the top of the fifth.
- Making his first start of the season, Guillermo Velasco put together a great day at the plate, batting 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs while George Gallardo got off a 0-for-3 snide by smashing a two-RBI double in the top of the seventh to give MACU some big insurance runs.
- Isaac Baez improved to 4-1 on the mound after tossing five innings, allowing three runs, only two of which earned on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
- Kelton Lachelt earned his fifth save of the season after tossing the last two frames, allowing two earned runs on two hits with a walk.
- With the win, MACU snapped a four-game losing streak at Bill Smith Ballpark.
GAME TWO
SCORE
- Science & Arts 1, Mid-America Christian 0
- Mid-America Christian (19-6, 3-3 SAC)
- Science & Arts (12-11, 2-4 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
SCORING SUMMARY
- BTM 6th – USAO – Gavin Machado doubled to right, RBI; Gage Gaunt scored – USAO 1, MACU 0
GAME NOTES
- The Drovers scored its one run on six hits and committed one error while the Evangels could only muster four hits.
- Despite suffering the loss, Cameron Brown pitched well in his start, allowing just the one earned run on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work.
- After putting together a productive opening game with the bats, the Evangels fell silent against USAO's lefty starter Reed Butz, who threw a complete-game shutout by allowing only four hits, one of which was for extra-bases.
- While the MACU bats were kept primarily in-check, Yan Ely Adames led the Evangels with two of the four Evangel knocks with a pair of singles to finish 2-for-3.
- Cole Fuecker was the only MACU player to record an extra-base hit, which ended up being a double to left that was knocked down in the wind while Noel McGarry-Doyle tallied the other Evangel hit with an infield single to go with a pair of stolen bags.
- By suffering the defeat, Mid-America Christian lost its first three or more game series of the season as the Drovers took two of the three contests.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will now prepare for four tough home games next week as the Evangels will open the slate with a 4 p.m. game against No. 22 Indiana Tech on Tuesday, Mar. 14. The contest will be played at the home of MLB AAA affiliate Oklahoma City Dodgers at Bricktown Ballpark.
