April 2, 2011
ARKADELPHIA- A 13-strikeout performance by junior starter Ryan Westover led Ouachita Baptist to a Gulf South Conference split with Henderson State, in the Battle of the Ravine baseball series at Clyde Berry Field on Saturday.
The Tigers (13-19, 2-6 GSC West) won Game 1, 12-3, then the Reddies (14-12-1, 4-3-1 GSC West) produced a strong pitching performance of their own in a 3-1 victory. Westover was aided by 17 runs by the Tigers offense, while producing just one less strikeout then all Game 2 pitchers combined (14) in the GSC opener.
Ouachita went up 4-0 in the fourth, behind four hits, as freshman Keegan Ghidotti led off with a single, then came around to score as freshman Landon Moore reached on an error for a 1-0 lead. An RBI single from sophomore Duncan Collins scored Moore, while junior Brett Mazmanian followed with a single. The Tigers capitalized on a two-run single from senior Kyle Zimmerman, scoring Collins and Mazmanian for a 4-0 advantage.
It went well enough in the fourth that Ouachita decided to repeat the effort in the seventh inning, as junior Brock Green started things with a single, then scored on a two-run single by Landon Moore that scored Ghidotti and Green. Senior Sam McGill made it back-to-back scoring efforts on a two-run single that put the score at 8-0 when senior Cass Via and Moore scored on the hit.
A double by Mazmanian and single from Zimmerman debuted things in the eighth, then Green back it three-straight hits on an RBI double that scored Mazmanian. Ghidotti continued his hot streak at the plate for the Tigers, driving in a pair of runs on a two-run double that put Ouachita at an 11-0 lead.
After Henderson State scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers put the finishing touches on the 12-3 win with an RBI single from Green that scored Zimmerman after the senior reached on a single.
Westover (1-3) went eight innings for the win, giving up three earned runs on four hits with the 13 strikeouts. Green finished at 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs, while the No. 1-3 and 5 spots combined for a 13-for-19 afternoon at the plate. Ghidotti (3-for-5, two RBI), Mazmanian (3-for-5, three runs) and Zimmerman (3-for-4, two RBI) each had three hits and led the charge offensively.
In Game 2, the offensive units for both teams were held in check, as the Reddies escaped with a 3-1 victory, as the lone run for Ouachita was an RBI double by McGill that scored Via, after the senior led off with a single.
The Tigers managed only four hits, while Henderson State scored three runs in the fourth inning, courtesy of two hits and an error. Junior Taylor Burns (2-2) took the loss for Ouachita, giving up one earned run on six hits, while junior Zac Treece tossed a three-strikeout performance in one inning of relief. Junior Tom Ward, along with Ghidotti, McGill and Via provided the only hits for the Tigers.
Ouachita will compete in the rubber match of the series at 1 p.m. against the Reddies at Clyde Berry Field on the Henderson State campus.
