OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 19 MACU Baseball started its postseason journey with a best of three series against rivals Science & Arts on Friday afternoon. The Evangels jumped to an early start in game one to walk away with an 8-5 win. However, game two the Drovers left it late for an 8-7 win to force a series deciding game three Saturday afternoon.
 
GAME ONE

SCORE

• (2) Mid-America Christian 8, (7) Science & Arts 5
  • No. 19 Mid-America Christian (34-11)
  • Science & Arts (20-23)

PITCHING DECISION

• Win: Ibrahim Gonzalez (9-2)
• Loss: Tyson Noel (4-5)
• Save: Angel Miranda (1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Ibrahim Gonzalez: W, 6.0 IP, 9 SO, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB
• Nick Hill: 1-2, HR, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB, HBP, SB
• Julio Felix: 2-3, R, RBI, HBP

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – USAO – Corey Morri singled to LF, RBI; Henry Garcia scored – MACU 0, USAO 1
• TOP 1^st – USAO – Alfonso Camacho hit by pitch, RBI; Solomon Harwood scored – MACU 0, USAO 2
• BTM 1^st – MACU – Sammy Hallada scored on balk – MACU 1, USAO 2
• BTM 1^st – MACU – Adam Hanan singled to RF, 2 RBI; Nick Hill and Jalen King scored – MACU 3, USAO 2
• BTM 1^st – MACU – Julio Felix singled to RF, RBI; Adam Hanan scored – MACU 4, USAO 2
• BTM 1^st – MACU – Jahzeel Groetelaers singled to first base, RBI; Cole Krepcik scored – MACU 6, USAO 2
• BTM 2^nd – MACU - Cole Krepcik singled to SS, RBI; Nick Hill scored – MACU 7, USAO 2
• BTM 6^th – MACU – Nick Hill homered to LF, RBI – MACU 8, USAO 2
• TOP 7^th – USAO – Henry Garcia homered to CF, RBI – MACU 8, USAO 3
• TOP 8^th – USAO – Gabe Clyden reached on FC, RBI; Alonso Camacho scored – MACU 8, USAO 4
• TOP 8^th – USAO – Henry Garcia walked, RBI; Brandon Latter scored – MACU 8, USAO 5

GAME SUMMARY

• A crazy first inning of postseason baseball started with the Drovers' efforts putting runners on second and third after consecutive walks and a wild pitch. An RBI single through the left side scored the opening run for USAO, then a walk and hit by pitch scored a second. However, Ibrahim Gonzalez on the mound for MACU got out of the bases loaded jam with a strikeout and groundout to retire the side.
• MACU immediately took the lead in the bottom half of the first with consecutive lead off singles from Sammy Hallada and Jalen King. Nick Hill took first after he was hit by the pitch and Hallada scored on a balk. Adam Hanan singled to right field to bring in King and Hill to lead 3-2. Julio Felix's RBI single added a fourth run, then Jahzeel Groetelaers laid down the perfect bunt single that caused an error for Felix and Cole Krepcik to score to put the Evangels up 6-2.
• The Evangels added one more in the second as Hill reached base on balls and moved around to third. Krepcik's RBI infield single was enough to allow Nick to score and lead 7-2.
• MACU made it 8-2 as Nick Hill hit a solo home run deep over the left field line. Hill already has the program record in single season home runs and hit his 19^th of the season.
• The Drovers looked for a late comeback and added a run in the seventh. Henry Garcia hammered one over left center field in the top of the seventh.
• A rally in the top of the eighth from USAO scored two more runs. The first four batters reached base before Angel Miranda came on in relief to close the inning out and later the game in the ninth for a MACU 8-5 win.

GAME NOTES

• MACU recorded 12 hits to USAO's 10. Only one of 12 MACU hits went for extra bases as Hill hit the home run in the bottom of the sixth. The Drovers committed the lone error in game one.    
• Ibrahim Gonzalez started on the mound and recorded his ninth win of the season after six innings of work and struck out nine batters. Gonzalez allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks which all came in the first inning. Andrws Acosta entered in relief for 1.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts, while Angel Miranda closed the game with his first save in 1.1 innings with three strikeouts allowing zero runs and three hits.
• Multiple MACU bats had multiple hits as Sammy Hallada, Jalen King, Adam Hanan, and Julio Felix accounted for eight of the 12. Nick Hill had the solo home run with a team-high three runs scored. Hanan tallied two RBIs.
• MACU won a second consecutive game against the USAO and cut into the all-time series lead at 23-53.   

 
GAME TWO

SCORE

• (2) Mid-America Christian 7, (7) Science & Arts 8
  • No. 19 Mid-America Christian (34-12)
  • Science & Arts (21-23)

PITCHING DECISION

• Win: Naton Herchock (2-5)
• Loss: Gabriel Dixon (3-2)
• Save: Jake Finkelstein (1)

TOP PERFORMERS

• Fabian Hernanadez: 5.0 IP, 9 SO, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB
• Elijah Lee: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Jalen King: 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI
• Frankie Giacalone: 1-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB

SCORING SUMMARY

• TOP 1^st – USAO – Duncan Key singled to LF, 2 RBI; Henry Garcia and Connor Martin scored – MACU 0, USAO 2
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Jahzeel Groetelaers sacrifice bunt, RBI; Frankie Giacalone scored – MACU 1, USAO 2
• BTM 2^nd – MACU – Elijah Lee homered to RF, 3 RBI; Jesse Ortega and Julio Felix scored – MACU 4, USAO 2
• BTM 4^th – MACU – Jalen King tripled to CF, 2 RBI; Sammy Hallada and Jesse Ortega scored – MACU 6, USAO 2
• TOP 5^th – USAO – Henry Garcia homered to LF, 2 RBI; Connor Martin scored – MACU 6, USAO 4
• BTM 5^th – MACU – Frankie Giacalone homered to RF, RBI – MACU 7, USAO 4
• TOP 8^th – USAO – Connor Martin singled to RF, RBI; Gabe Clyden scored – MACU 7, USAO 5
• TOP 8^th – USAO – Henry Garcia homered to RF, 3 RBI; Connor Martin and Anthony Hampton scored – MACU 7, USAO 8

GAME SUMMARY

• USAO started game two much like the first by scoring the opening two runs in the top of the first. Consecutive singles to start the game added two early base runners. An RBI single down the third base line scored both runners. However, Fabian Hernandez got the final out to leave two Drover runners on base.
• MACU stormed back in the second as Cole Krepcik doubled to right field to get things rolling. Once again, Jahzeel Groetelaers laid down the perfect bunt to score a run. Elijah Lee responded with his first home run of the season as the lefty hit it over the right center wall for a three-run homer to give MACU a 4-2 lead.
• The Evangels lead grew in the bottom of the fourth as Jalen King tripled to center field and batted in a pair of runs in the process. Hallada and Jesse Ortega the two runs scored as MACU led 6-2.
• However, the Drovers had an immediate response as Henry Garcia hit his second homer of the series in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to two with the two-run shot.
• Frankie Giacalone brought fireworks in the fifth as well as the righty hits an opposite side home run over the right-side wall. Giacalone's solo home run marked his tenth of the season.
• USAO flipped the script in the eighth inning with an RBI single to score the Drovers' fifth run. However, with two runners still on base, Garcia hit his second home run of the game and third of the series with the most impactful swing of the bat today. This three-run homer gave the Drovers an 8-7 lead through eight.
• MACU had chances with two runners on first and second in the eighth and a golden opportunity in the ninth as Tuane Cope in pinch running got all the way to third base. However, the Evangels' bats went cold down the stretch, and they were unable to get the tying run home to score and lost 7-8.

GAME NOTES

• MACU outhit USAO by a 9-6 margin but left nine runners on base and were unable to turn them into runs. The Evangels also committed zero errors defensively to the Drovers' three.
• Fabian Hernandez started game two and pitched five complete innings striking out nine batters. He allowed four earned runs on four hits and two walks. Byron Madero subbed in for him after and went 2.2 innings. Madero struck out three batters while allowing two earned runs but no hits. Gabriel Dixon recorded the loss in 1.1 innings but did strikeout a pair of batters in his work.
• Jalen King and Elijah Lee were the hot bats in game two as King went 3-5 from the plate with a pair of RBIs and a triple. Lee hit his first home run of the season in a 2-3 outing with a team-high three RBIs. Frankie Giacalone also hit a home run to become the second Evangel batter with double-digit home runs this season as Frankie reached 10.
• MACU's small win streak collapsed with the loss and now trail all-time 23-54 against USAO.

 
UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will look to keep its season alive with Game Three against Science & Arts on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. with the winner advancing to Joplin, Missouri to take part in the Sooner Athletic Conference Semifinals.