Eagles sweep Dustdevils on tour South

Photo by: Henoc Kivuye

The Eagles’ continued focus on their own efforts paid off last weekend, clinching all three games against the Dustdevils of Texas A&M International University.

“The games went as good as it could have for us,” senior pitcher Tyler Schuman said. “We went into the series looking for a sweep and went 3-0 on the weekend.”

The Eagles recorded a doubleheader victory, 4-1 and 8-2, on Friday against the Dustdevils. This is the first season that Oklahoma Christian University played a full three-game league series as a Heartland Conference member.

“I thought we played really well,” Head Baseball Coach Lonny Cobble said. “We were energetic. We were down in one game 8-4 and everyone stepped up.”

On Saturday’s game the Dustdevils had a seven-run seventh inning to take the lead, but that did not deter the team from sticking with the game plan.

“We really do not focus on the other team,” senior outfielder Markus Carr said after the games on Friday. “We worry about what we can control and let the chips fall as they may.”

The Eagles recaptured the game in the ninth inning, when senior Caleb Price led with a single against TAMIU reliever Clay Phillip. Two outs later, he scored on a home run by junior Jordan Lopez.

Soon after, junior Cody Rosecrans hit a two-run, game-tying home run, allowing the Eagles to bring home three runs in the 10th inning and secure an 11-8 win.

“Cody Rosecrans came up huge for us in the last game,” Schuman said. “He came into the game with two outs in the ninth down and hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run. That was big for us and for him as a hitter.”

In the second game against the Dustdevils on Friday, Oklahoma Christian’s junior pitcher Kelby Reneau fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but he got out of the jam when the Dustdevils left the bases loaded.

Reneau allowed just one run in six innings, holding off the Dustdevils long enough for the Eagles to grab a lead. Oklahoma Christian led by six, posting an 8-2 victory.

Lopez scored four runs for Oklahoma Christian in the Eagles’ second game against TAMIU, and a total of seven runs last weekend.

Oklahoma Christian played Arkansas-Fort Smith Friday at 10:00 a.m. and again Saturday at 1:00 p.m., both at Dobson Field.