FROM PRESS RELEASE
ARKADELPHIA – After a slow start, the second-ranked Ouachita Baptist baseball team rolled to a doubleheader sweep of Truman State Sunday afternoon, defeating the Bulldogs 5-2 and 18-0, at Rab Rodgers Field.
In the opener, Chase Baron, Jerry Helferich and Patrick Lemmond shut down Truman State (0-3).
Baran (2-0), the Tigers starter, pitched five innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Helferich came on in relief to work three innings, scattering a pair of hits and fanning two. Lemmond picked up his fifth save by working the ninth.
The Tigers (9-1) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third as Chad Taylor had a one-out double to left-center and stole third with two outs. Blake Lockwood’s two-out double plated Taylor to give Ouachita Baptist a 1-0 lead.
Truman State tied the game in the top of the fourth, but an offensive explosion, including scoring four runs on four hits, while taking advantage of a Bulldogs error put the Tigers back on top, 5-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Justin Pennell reached on a bunt single and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by the pitcher. Rudy Jovanovski followed with a single to right-center, scoring Pennell. Jim Streicher doubled down the left-field line. Both Jovanovski and Streicher came home after a three-run blast by Destan Makonnen.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the top of the sixth, but couldn’t get any closer as Logan Frame took the loss. He gave up five runs (all earned) on six hits with a pair of strikeouts.
In the second contest, Jarrod Hershberger improved to 3-0 after pitching a complete-game, eight-hitting. He also struck out three and walked a pair.
The Tigers plated four in the first, helped by a three-run homer by Jovanovski, to grab a 4-0 lead. That would be all the offense Hershberger needed. Ouachita Baptist, which also had homers by Pennell and another one by Jovanovski, cruised to the win. The Tigers cored two in the second, one in the third, four in the fourth and fifth and three in the sixth.
Kyle Veazey (0-1) took the loss, working just two innings. He gave up six runs (four earned) on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
The Tigers return to action 12:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23 at Rab Rodgers Field against Fort Hays State. The doubleheader can be heard on the Ouachita Baptist athletic Web site at: www.obutigers.com.
