ARKADELPHIA- After scoring 10-plus runs in three of the past four matchups, Ouachita Baptist used a two-hit shutout and strong starting pitching performance from senior Will Gowdy to shut down North Alabama, 3-0, at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia on Friday.
Ouachita (5-4) stretched their current win streak to three games behind a six inning, one hit performance from Gowdy (3-0). The Lions didn’t record a base hit until two outs left in the fifth inning. Junior Nick Holtgrieve recorded his second save of the season, going three innings in relief of Gowdy.
The Tigers scored in the opening inning when freshman Landon Flax led off with a single, scoring three batters later on a single by sophomore Brock Green, aided by an error from the North Alabama left fielder to lead 1-0.
Ouachita didn’t score again until the seventh inning, as junior Cass Via drove in Steve Mirizzi on a sacrifice fly, putting the score at 2-0. Senior Drew Baker recorded an RBI single to score Green to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead that would hold through the ninth inning.
The Tigers combined for eight hits led by Green and Baker who both went 2-for-4 at the plate. The story of the game, however, was the pitching for Ouachita. Gowdy and Holtgrieve combined to just give up two hits and allowed no walks in nine innings of work. Gowdy improved his season ERA to 1.06 in giving up just two runs in 17 innings on the mound.
Ouachita Baptist returns to Rab Rodgers Field on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. to take on Wisconsin-Parkside. The game has been moved up an hour than the originally scheduled time. Before Ouachita takes the field, North Alabama and Wisconsin-Parkside will play a 9-inning game beginning at 11 a.m.
