A five-run first, combined with a two-run double by Derek Dibbens in the sixth, was the difference as the ninth-ranked Ouachita Baptist University baseball team took the rubber game of a three-game series Monday afternoon, 7-4, against No. 18 Angelo State at Foster Field.
Despite dropping the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday, the Tigers (2-1) opened the final contest of the series by plating five runs in to the top of the first.
JoeDan Poulter, who was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, singled up the middle with one out. Will Gowdy, who went 1-for-2, followed with a double down the line in left as Poulter stopped at third. Rudy Jovanovski, who was 1-for-3, singled to left to plate Poulter and Gowdy to give Ouachita a 2-0 lead.
Drew Maus followed with a single up the middle as Jovanovski stopped at second. Dibbens, who went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, doubled to left-center, plating a pair to give the Tigers a 4-0 advantage. With two outs, Brock Green singled to center to bring in Dibbens for a 5-0 Ouachita lead.
The Rams (1-2) cut the margin to 4-1 after scoring a run in the bottom of the second.
Ouachita had a chance to increase the lead in the top of the third as Drew Maus singled up the middle and Brock Green had a ground-rule double. Drew Wurzelbacher was hit by a pitch with one out, but Blake Lockwood bounced into an inning-ending double play to halt more possible Tiger runs.
Angelo State scored a run in the bottom of the third off Gowdy to continue to cut the big Ouachita advantage to 5-2. The Rams narrowed the margin to 5-3 after another run in the bottom of the fifth, but that was as close as Angelo State would get.
Ouachita used a two-run sixth inning to grab a 7-3 lead.
Poulter began the frame with a single up the middle and Gowdy followed with a walk. With two outs, Dibbens doubled to center to give the Tigers a four-run cushion.
However, the Rams made things a bit interesting in the final three innings as the Rams plated a run on a pair of hits in the eighth to cut the deficit to 7-4. But the Tigers went to the All-Time OBU leader in saves – Patrick Lemmond – to seal the victory.
Gowdy (1-0) went five innings on the mound in his first start as a Tiger. He gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. Sean O’Rourke worked three innings of relief by surrendering a run on three hits with two strikeouts. Lemmond earned his first save by pitching a scoreless ninth and finishing with a pair of strikeouts.
Jeremy Tietze (0-1) took the loss for the Rams in pitching just 1/3 of an inning. He gave up five runs on five hits. Brady Conine, Jeffery Asby, Sam Janca and Matt Gunter pitched in relief.
The Tigers will return 12:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7 to Rab Rodgers Field to take on Missouri Western in a doubleheader. Prior to the start of the game, Ouachita will honor the 2008 World Series NCAA Division II National Runners-up team. The games will be available to listen to on the Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Web site at: www.obutigers.com.
