The 17th-ranked Ouachita Baptist University Baseball team scored a combined 23 runs Friday afternoon in a soggy doubleheader sweep as the Tigers defeated Wisconsin-Parkside, 11-5, in the opener and 12-3 in the second game, which was called in the middle of the sixth because of darkness at Rab Rodgers Field.
The Rangers took advantage of a Tiger error in the top of the first to grab a 1-0 lead.
Wisconsin-Parkside (0-10) loaded the bases in the top of the second with no outs as John Heller led off the frame with a walk. Nick Cozzi and Robert Bellish reached on fielder’s choices with a pair of Tiger errors charged on the plays. Vincent Viverito doubled to left-center to bring in Heller and Cozzi. A sacrifice fly by Alex Dawson gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead.
Ouachita’s bats woke up in a huge way in the bottom half of the second.
Rudy Jovanovski, who went 2-for-3, led off the inning with a walk and all the way to third on back-to-back singles through the left side by JoeDan Poulter and Drew Maus. With one down, Drew Wurzelbacher tripled down the line in right to clear the bases. After a walk to Blake Lockwood, Matt Burton cleared the bases with a three-run homer over the right-center wall. Will Gowdy drew a walk and stole second. He advanced to third on a ground out by Brock Green, and then scored on a base hit up the middle by Jovanovski to give the Tigers a 7-4 advantage.
Ouachita added to the lead in the bottom of the third
Maus, who was 2–for-3, started things off with a triple to center. He scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Derek Dibbens.
The Rangers scored a run in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 8-5.
After a 15-minute lightning delay, Jovanovski began the bottom of the fifth with a double to center. He moved to third and scored on a wild pitch to extend the Ouachita lead to 9-5.
The Tigers (13-5) pushed the margin to 11-5 in the bottom of the sixth as Chris Gordon reached on a walk and after a pair of stolen bases, Gowdy connected on his fourth homer of the season – a two-run shot to left-center.
Jared Hershberger (2-0) pitched six innings, finished with a career-high nine strikeouts. He gave up five runs (one earned) on five hits with a pair of walks. Zach Treece worked an inning in relief.
Jon Kleinmyer (0-1) started on the mound for the Rangers, going four innings. He was tagged for eight runs on six hits with four walks and a strikeout. Dustin Kollman worked three innings in relief.
In the second game, Ouachita scored a run in the bottom of the first, and then exploded for five in the second.
Maus reached on an error to begin the second and moved to third on a bunt single by Chris Gordon. Maus scored when Gordon stole second and the ball went into center field. Luke Hardcastle, who went 3-for-3, followed with a bunt single as Gordon scored on a Rangers error. Wurzelbacher also reached on a bunt single, while Lockwood reached on a fielder’s choice as Hardcastle scored. Drew Baker hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Wurzelbacher and Lockwood. Wurzelbacher scored on a wild pitch and Lockwood came in on an RBI single through the right side by Brock Green.
Wisconsin-Parkside scored a run in the top of the third, but Ouachita answered with a pair in the bottom of the frame to take an 8-1 advantage.
The Rangers, who finished the game with seven errors, trimmed the deficit to 10-3 after plating two runs in the top of the fifth. However, the Tigers put the game away with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 12-3 lead.
Payne Spence (1-0) earned the win by going five innings. He was tagged for three runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Beau Martin worked the sixth by surrendering a hit.
Travis Klostermann took the loss and fell to 0-3 on the year. He gave up 12 runs (six earned) on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Ouachita opens a three-game series 12:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 28 at Rab Rodgers Field against Stillman College. Both games are scheduled for seven innings and can also be heard on the Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Web site at: www.obutigers.com.
