MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Jerry Helferich pitched six strong innings to power the No. 18 Ouachita Baptist University baseball team to a 13-5 victory over No. 30 Montevallo in the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday as the Tigers fell in the second game, 4-1, at Kermit A. Johnson Field.
Helferich (4-2) gave up four runs on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Beau Martin worked two innings in relief and Zach Treece closed the game with a perfect ninth.
Ouachita (17-7) led 1-0 after three innings, but used a six-run fourth to cruise to the victory.
Brock Green led off the inning by reaching on an error. With one out, Drew Maus reached on an infield single. Luke Hardcastle followed with a base hit up the middle to plate Green. Chris Gordon reached on a bunt single to load the bases. With two down, Blake Lockwood doubled to right-center to clear the bases. Matt Burton singled to center to plate Lockwood. Burton scored on Will Gowdy’s double down the line in left to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.
Montevallo (15-7-1) scored three in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth, but Ouachita put the game away with six more runs in the top of the seventh.
Drew Baker began the inning with a walk and stole second. Gowdy reached on an infield single as Baker advanced to third. Gowdy stole second and Green was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, JoeDan Poulter singled to right to plate Baker. Maus followed with a base hit to right to score Gowdy. Luke Hardcastle drilled a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall for a grand slam to give the Tigers a commanding 13-4 advantage.
Caleb McLeod (1-1) took the loss by working five innings. He surrendered seven runs (all unearned) on seven hits with three strikeouts. Michael Fields and Mat Turner worked in relief.
In the second game, Montevallo scored four runs in the first two innings on two hits to get the 4-1 win.
Chase Baron (3-1) pitched a complete game, going six innings. He surrendered four runs (two earned) on two hits with six walks and 10 strikeouts.
Kyle Johanson started for the Falcons as he pitched one inning with a walk. Justin Aaron (2-1) got the win by working 4 2/3 innings of relief. He gave up a run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. John Michael Caraway picked up his first save of the season by working 1 1/3 innings.
Ouachita concludes the three-game series 1:00 p.m., Sunday, March 8 at Kermit A. Johnson Field against Montevallo. The game can be seen through live stats at: www.montevallo.edu/athletics/livestats/BB/xlive.htm
