FROM PRESS RELEASE
ARKADELPHIA – Chandler Boyce had his first collegiate home run as the third-ranked Ouachita Baptist baseball team rallied to defeat Drury, 6-4, Sunday afternoon at Rab Rodgers Field.
The Panthers (2-2) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning off Tigers starter Zach Wilbanks and took a 3-0 advantage into the bottom of the third.
Blake Lockwood, who reached on a two-out error, scored on Boyce’s homer over the center field wall to cut the Drury deficit to 3-2. The Panthers added a run in the fourth, but Ouachita Baptist (6-0) exploded with three in the bottom half of the inning.
Rudy Jovanovski homered to lead off the frame. With one out, Jim Streicher doubled to right-center and advanced to third on a Drew Maus ground out. Ryan Wade walked and JoeDan Poulter followed with a double down the left-field line, plating Streicher. Wade scored on a base hit by Lockwood as the Tigers scored three runs on four hits in the inning.
Ouachita Baptist added a run in the sixth and rode the arms of Jarrod Hershberger (2-0) and Patrick Lemmond.
Wilbanks surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits in just 3 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts and three walks. Hershberger, in his second outing of the season, worked five innings, scattering four hits while fanning a pair. Lemmond pitched to just one batter in picking up his third save.
Harrison Waters took the loss for the Panthers as he gave up six runs (four earned) on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Ouachita Baptist returns to action 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12 in Tahlequah , Okla. , against Northeastern State . The game can be heard on the internet at: www.obutigers.com.
