MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The 18th-ranked Ouachita Baptist University baseball team used a seven-run first inning to cruise to a 12-7 victory over No. 30 Montevallo Sunday afternoon at Kermit A. Johnson Field.
The Tigers (18-7) had four players have a multi-hit game. Brock Green was 3-for-5, while Will Gowdy went 2-for-4. JoeDan Poulter was 2-for-5, and Drew Wurzelbacher went 2-for-3.
Ouachita began the game with seven runs on just three hits, while taking advantage of four Falcon errors.
Blake Lockwood, who was 1-for-4, led off the game by getting hit by a pitch. However, Lockwood was out trying to steal second for the first out in the game. Matt Burton was hit by a pitch and took second when Gowdy reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. Green followed with a base hit through the left side to load the bases.
Poulter singled to left and advanced to second on an error, which allowed Burton and Gowdy to score. Drew Maus, who went 1-for-5, followed with a single to right-center, plating Green. Derek Dibbens walked and Chris Gordon, who went 1-for-3, reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and advanced to third on the play, which allowed all three runners – Poulter, Maus and Dibbens – to score. Wurzelbacher was next at the plate and he reached on a fielding error by the second baseman, allowing Gordon to score.
Montevallo (15-8-1) scored a run in the second and fourth to cut the Ouachita lead to 7-2. But the Tigers plated two runs in the top of the fifth. The Falcons answered with two in the bottom half of the inning and continued to cut the deficit with a run in the seventh to trim the margin to 9-5.
Ouachita tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, but back came Montevallo in the bottom of the frame. The Tigers added a run in the top of the ninth for good measure.
Gowdy (6-0) pitched six solid innings for Ouachita, surrendering four runs on eight hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Sean O’Rourke gave up three runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in two innings, while Patrick Lemmond worked the ninth.
Brandon Aldridge (2-2) took the loss for Montevallo. He was tagged for seven runs (two earned) on six hits with a pair of walks in 3 1/3 innings. J. Stoddard, Wes Rich and Heath Wilson pitched in relief.
Ouachita returns to action 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 10 at Rab Rodgers Field against East Central. The Tigers will conclude the final inning and complete the game which was played Feb. 17. The two teams will then play a pair of seven-inning games. The doubleheader can be heard on the Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Web site at: www.obutigers.com.
