ARKADELPHIA- Ouachita Baptist took an early 4-1 lead and held on late to defeat North Alabama, 4-3, in Game 1 of the non-conference double header at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia on Wednesday.
Ouachita (18-15, 3-5 GSC West) used a strong pitching performance from freshman Travis King (1-0), coupled with early offense to hold off GSC-East member North Alabama (15-17).
After the Lions jumped on top with a run in the top of the first, Ouachita Baptist answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, as sophomore Brock Green drove in freshman Landon Flax to tie the game at 1-1. Senior Luke Hardcastle then gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with an RBI single that scored Green.
Green answered again for the Tigers in the bottom of the second inning, recording a two-run single, scoring Flax and junior Steve Mirizzi to give Ouachita a 4-1 lead after two innings of play.
North Alabama would challenge the Tigers in the sixth, scoring two runs on three hits to cut the lead to 4-3, but it wouldn’t be enough in the end, as Ouachita junior Sam McGill entered the game in the seventh to record his first save of the season as McGill shut out the side to give Ouachita a 4-3 victory.
King (1-0) went six innings on the mound for Ouachita, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Mitch Handley (3-4) took the loss for North Alabama, going four innings while allowing four earned runs on six hits.
Green provided a big day at the plate for Ouachita, going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI, while senior teammate Drew Baker added a 2-for-3 performance for the Tigers.
