Oklahoma Christian University’s baseball team started from the bottom and worked its way to the top during a three-game weekend series against West Texas A&M University.
The Eagles suffered a 6-1 loss on Friday evening against the Buffs, who knocked two runs in during the first inning. They bumped up their lead to 4-0 by the fourth before the Eagles’ Robert Rosser homered in the six. The seventh inning brought a pair of runs for WTAMU to close out the game 6-1.
Catcher Lane Paul said the team rallied together overnight to overcome the difficult competition.
“The difference between Friday and Saturday was our mentality,” Paul said. “During the Friday game we weren’t hitting like we normally do. Even the second game, whenever we were hitting, they were answering back with punches of their own.”
The Eagles started off Saturday’s doubleheader with a run by Derek Jones. The Buffs retaliated with a three-RBI home run to take the lead 3-1. Eagles Austin Orth and Jake Collins recorded runs in the second and fourth, but the team still trailed 8-3 going into the fifth.
An eight-run streak placed the Eagles in the position to win, but WTAMU outhit them in the end and captured the game 13-12.
“The third game we just said we have had enough in our team meeting and we are going to hit them with punches and not let them come back,” Paul said.
With newfound motivation, Oklahoma Christian scored 18 runs in seven innings and held back its opponent to six runs in comparison. Jones, Rosser, Jake Baxter, Dylan Fazekas, Zac Cobble, Ben McKenzie, Kyle Lacy and Chase Kuwitzky all contributed to the 12-run victory and pitcher Jared Sterling took his first win of the season.
The baseball team will face Northwestern Oklahoma State University on March 1 at 3 p.m.
“Our expectations for Tuesday’s game is the same as it always is: give 100 percent effort and play to the best of our abilities,” Paul said.
Statistics provided by the Oklahoma Christian University Sports Information office.
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