FROM PRESS RELEASE
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The 23rd-ranked Ouachita Baptist baseball team, helped by back-to-back-to-back home runs in game two, completed a doubleheader sweep of UAH, 8-1 and 5-1, Wednesday afternoon at Joe Davis Stadium.
The Tigers (27-7) led 2-1 heading into the top of the seventh inning of game two. Chad Taylor, Chandler Boyce and Drew Maus hit back-to-back-to-back homers to give Ouachita Baptist a 5-1 lead.
Patrick Lemmond, who came on in relief of Jerry Helferich, in the seventh got the first two batters on strikeouts and retired the final batter on a groundout to short to end the game.
Sean O’Rourke (3-1) started for the Tigers, pitching 4 2/3 innings. He gave up a run (unearned) on just three hits, while walking three and fanning a pair. Helferich worked 1 1/3 innings and didn’t allow a hit.
Taylor led Ouachita Baptist at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Rudy Jovanovski was 2-for-3 with a run batted in. Also collecting hits were Justin Pennell, Boyce, Maus and JoeDan Poulter.
Colby Lipham started for the Chargers (14-22), going four innings. He surrendered a run on three hits and added five strikeouts. Patrick Grimes (0-4) took the loss, pitching two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Jeffrey Dobyne worked an inning of relief, surrendering a pair of runs on two hits with a walk, while fanning one.
Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, Ouachita Baptist responded with a pair of runs on two hits in the second.
Boyce, who was 3-for-4, led off the frame with an infield single and scored on a Maus double to left center. Poulter flied out to center, moving Maus to third and Maus scored on a wild pitch to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Ouachita Baptist added to the advantage by scoring two more runs in the third to grab a 4-1 lead.
Jovanovski singled to left to start the top of the third and took second when Destan Makonnen was hit by a pitch. With one out, Boyce doubled to left-center, plating Jovanovski and moving Makonnen to third. Maus, who was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, flied out to right for the second out, but the sacrifice worked as Makonnen scored.
Another pair scored in the fifth on three hits and the Tigers added the icing on the cake with two more in the seventh to help starting pitcher Alex Smith.
Smith (3-0) pitched a complete-game, six-hitter as he gave up a run with two walks and four strikeouts.
Jim Streicher, who was named Tuesday the Gulf South Conference West Division Player of the Week, added three hits.
Indjomar Juliana (2-2) took the loss, working four innings. He gave up six runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Joe Dunlap pitched two innings of relief, scattering a pair of hits with two walks and a strikeout. Holland worked the final inning, giving up two runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Ouachita Baptist begins a three-game series 12:00 p.m., Saturday, March 29 against rival Henderson State at Clyde Berry Field in a Gulf South Conference West Division doubleheader. The games can be heard on the Ouachita Baptist athletic Web site at: www.obutigers.com.
