ARKADELPHIA – The 30th-ranked Ouachita Baptist University baseball team collected just eight hits in a pair of games Sunday afternoon as the Tigers were swept by Delta State, 11-0 and 7-2 in a Gulf South Conference West Division series at Rab Rodgers Field.
In the opener, Delta State pounded out 13 hits and took advantage of a pair of Ouachita errors in an 11-0 rout of the Tigers.
Chase Baran (3-2) started on the mound for Ouachita (21-10, 0-3). Despite not allowing a hit through the first three innings, he gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Zach Treece and Trent Lingle worked in relief.
Cody Kelley (2-1) took the win, scattering three hits with four walks and nine strikeouts in eight innings. Marcus Wilson worked the ninth as the Statesmen exploded for eight runs in the sixth and three in the final inning to get the victory.
In the second game, Delta State (16-9, 3-0) led 1-0 after three innings and 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but Ouachita tied the game at 2 with a pair of runs.
With one out, Will Gowdy singled to center and scored on Brock Green’s double down the line in left. With two outs, Derek Dibbens singled through the right side to plate Green, tying the game at 2.
After a pitching change to start the seventh, the Statesmen unloaded for five runs on three hits, while taking advantage of a pair of errors to get the 7-2 victory.
Gowdy went six innings for Ouachita, surrendering two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Patrick Lemmond (1-1) took the loss. He was tagged for five runs (three earned) on three hits with two walks and a strikeout in an inning of work.
Joey Haston (3-2) earned the victory. He pitched a complete-game, four-hitter. Haston also had three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Ouachita, which was outscored over the weekend in the three-game series to Delta State, 34-12, returns to Gulf South Conference West Division action noon, Saturday, March 21 at Harding for a pair of games. The doubleheader can be heard on the Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Web site at: www.obutigers.com.
