OKLAHOMA CITY – Fourth-ranked Oklahoma Baptist battled its way to an 11-10, 11-inning victory over top-ranked Oklahoma City University on Saturday, April 2, at Jim Wade Stadium.
Anthony Lopez’s three-run home run provided the winning run in the matchup of teams ranked in the top five of NAIA baseball. Oklahoma Baptist improved to 27-7, 12-3 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, while the Stars dropped to 29-4, 18-1 in the SAC.
Lopez also had a grand slam that gave OBU an 8-7 ninth-inning lead. OCU forced extra innings on Julien Pollard’s RBI base hit to center field in the bottom of the ninth.
The Stars attempted to rally in the bottom of the 11th following Lopez’s second homer. Chad Carman nailed a run-scoring double to left-center field, and Mark Purser added an RBI single to right field to cut OCU’s deficit to 11-10. OBU’s Kyle Brule recorded the strikeout to finish the game.
Terrance Jackson had a three-run, inside-the-park homer during OCU’s four-run fifth. Jackson nailed a drive that center fielder Chris Lemus missed on a dive, allowing the ball to get to the wall. The right fielder Lopez retrieved the ball and relayed to home plate, but not before Parker, Purser and Jackson had each scored. Jackson hit his fifth homer of the year.
In the sixth, Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Stars up 6-0. In the seventh, Scott Dalrymple reached home plate while Matt Presley was caught in a rundown to put OCU ahead 7-2.
Carman, a junior from Midwest City, Okla., went 3-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI, while Purser, a senior from Spokane, Wash., went 2-for-6 with a run scored and a run driven in. Ruben Sosa, a junior from Lawrence, Mass., went 3-for-6 and scored a run, and Jackson, a senior from Greenville, Ala., drove in four runs.
Brule improved to 2-2 after pitching the final three innings for Oklahoma Baptist. Cody Crabaugh took the loss to move to 3-2.
OCU meets Southern Nazarene at 7 p.m. Tuesday April 5 at Jim Wade Stadium.
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