CHICKASHA, Okla.– The No. 18 MACU Baseball team pulled away with a hard-fought victory at Bill Smith Ballpark Friday night, defeating Science & Arts 4-2 behind a stellar outing by Junior southpaw Fabian Hernandez and a clutch go-ahead two-run homer by Jonluke Hobdy in the ninth.
 
SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 4, Science & Arts 2
  • Mid-America Christian (24-7, 11-2 SAC)
  • Science & Arts (18-10, 9-4 SAC)

PITCHING DECISIONS

• Win: Andrew Long (5-3)
• Loss: Ryan Cullinane (2-1)
• Save: Andrws Acosta (4)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Jonluke Hobdy – 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
• Fabian Hernandez – ND, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 SO
• Brett Justice – 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI
• Carlos Medina – 2-4
• Andrws Acosta – S, IP, H, K

 
SCORING SUMMARY

• BTM 2^nd – USAO – Gunnar Hansen singled to center field, RBI; Christopher Martinez scored – USAO 1, MACU 0
• TOP 6^th – MACU – Brett Justice doubled down the right field line, 2 RBI; Jonluke Hobdy scored; Cristopher Munoz scored – MACU 2, USAO 1
• BTM 7^th – USAO – Gunnar Hansen homered to left, RBI – MACU 2, USAO 2
• TOP 9^th – MACU – Jonluke Hobdy homered to left, 2 RBI; Dyson Kinnaman scored – MACU 4, USAO 2

GAME SUMMARY

• Science & Arts struck first, putting a run on the board in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single up the middle, providing the Drovers with an early 1-0 lead.
• Herandez settled in on the bump for Mid-America Christian, he tossed four straight scoreless including retiring seven straight in the process to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of the Drovers.
• MACU got into scoring position in the sixth with one-out on back-to-back hits to Jonluke Hobdy and Cristopher Munoz, Brett Justice then came through with a clutch two-bagger on a liner just past USAO first basemen's Payton McDowall's outstretched glove, allowing Hobdy and Munoz to score and put MACU on top with a 2-1 advantage.
• Hernandez got into trouble in the sixth after walking a pair with one away, however he settled down picking up a couple of groundouts to strand the Drover runners at first-and-third and keeping the Evangels on top, still ahead 2-1.
• USAO knotted it up at 2-2 on a leadoff homer in the seventh by Gunnar Hansen, on a shot over the left field wall.  Hernandez got right back on track though, retiring the next three including an incredible diving grab taking away an extra-base hit from Gage Ninness and keeping it at a 2-2 ballgame.
• In the eighth the Evangels threatened on a one-out double to left by Carlos Medina, however USAO reliever Ryan Cullinane escaped the jam, holding things at 2-2.
• The Drovers loaded up the bases with two outs in the eighth, but Andrew Long escaped the jam, getting Hansen out on the 6-4 putout to put away USAO.
• Zachary Stark started off the ninth with a free pass, Dyson Kinnaman entered as the courtesy runner, it would not matter though as Kinnaman could jog around the bases on a go-ahead two-run homer to left by Hobdy, retaking the lead for MACU with a 4-2 score.
• Andrws Acosta entered for the save, he allowed a leadoff knock but retired the next three, including catching McDowall looking to wrap up a 4-2 MACU victory.

GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian had just enough on the offensive end, outhitting Science & Arts 7-6, while committing an error to the Drovers three. USAO walked five and MACU worked four in the low scoring affair.
• Both starting pitchers offered strong starts, Fabian Herandez and Jared Adams both allowed just two runs, with Herandez tossing a season high off 7.1 innings.
• Hernandez threw a season high for any MACU arm, in the innings department at 7.1 and pitches with a whooping 140 thrown. Hernandez struck out nine, making the second most he has punched out in a game, falling two shy of his 11 in which he did in the 12-1 win over College of the Ozarks back on Feb. 24.
• Jonluke Hobdy making his first start in nearly a calendar month due to injury, returned in a big way, he went 2-for-4 with two runs including his huge go-ahead homer in the ninth.
• Brett Justice had one hit, but it was a big one, he finished 1-for-5 with two batted in on his two-RBI double in the sixth.
• Andrew Long picked up the win in relief, he needed just one out to convert the win, he now leads the Evangels with five on the season
• Cristopher Munoz extended his hitting streak to eight games, he went 1-for-4 with a run and a walk.
• Carlos Medina was the only other Evangel outside of Hobdy to have a multi-hit game, he slashed 2-for-4 with a double.
• MACU has now won five of its last seven games against USAO dating back to last season.

UP NEXT

• MACU gets right back after it tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader against the Drovers with first pitches slated for 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.