After falling short in their opening game, USAO baseball (2-1, 0-0 SAC) got two wins in a row to finish on top in their first series of the season against Our Lady of the Lake University (1-2, 0-0 RRAC).
Friday’s season opener was a disappointing start to the series, which USAO corrected in their following two games. The opener started with the Saints scoring three runs in the third inning, one of those runs coming from a fielding error on the Drovers. USAO tried to capitalize while at the plate scoring once in the fourth inning and once in the fifth. However, they couldn’t keep the momentum going, losing the season opener 3-2.
Luckily, USAO had another chance on Friday to showcase their abilities and tie the series record. The Drovers were on the scoreboard early as junior infielder Corey Morro reached home plate off a fielding error.
OLLU came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the third inning, the Saints’ Gavin Machado hit a single to the outfield that allowed a runner to score. Machado, a former Drover, gave the Saints a 2-1 lead.
Both sides managed to score a run in the fourth inning, but as the fifth inning started, the Drovers caught fire. With bases loaded, senior Peyton McDowall hit a single into left field, allowing senior infielder Gage Ninness to score from third. On the next at-bat, the Saint’s pitcher threw a wild pitch giving USAO the time to advance from their bases and Morro to reach home. The next two at-bats saw McDowall and senior Chris Martinez reach home meaning the Drovers scored on four straight opportunities at the plate to take a 6-3 lead.
Inning six saw USAO add three runs to their score from one play. It started with bases loaded and senior catcher Gunnar Hansen at the plate. Hansen hits a single to centerfield and an error from the Saints centerfielder and second basemen allowed all the runners besides Hansen to reach home. This gave the Drovers a 9-3 lead. A single from Ninness in the seventh inning allowed senior outfielder Jaden Wiley to reach home plate for the cherry on top. The Drovers finished this game with the victory, beating OLLU 10-3.
USAO started Saturday’s game with a huge lead in the first inning. The play of the inning came from Hansen who hit a line drive to the outfield that allowed three baserunners to reach home. Before the inning was finished, senior infielder Ian Ortiz hit a flyball to right field where the OLLU defender made the catch. However, the fly allowed Hansen to go from third base to home making the score 5-0. The Drovers finished the inning with five runs on three hits.
OLLU managed to get two points in the bottom of the second inning, but USAO held their foot on the gas once the third inning began and ran the score up while holding the Saints to those two points for the rest of the game.
In the third inning, the Drovers scored six runs on four hits to give them a nine-point lead. With the bases loaded, senior infielder Devin Alvarez was able to make it to first from an error from the Saints while two runners made it home for USAO to add to their lead. On the following at-bat, Ninness hit a double to the outfield that brought the rest of the baserunners home. After three innings, USAO now led 11-2.
Inning seven saw the final runs of the game that were scored by the Drovers. In back-to-back sacrifice plays, USAO brought two baserunners to seal the win at 13-2.
Sophomore Brian Ereu, junior Tyson Noel, and junior Jared Adams all got opportunities to start at the pitcher’s mound for USAO. Ereu started in the first game for the Drovers and pitched three innings while making two strikeouts but allowing two runs. Noel started the second game on the mound where he earned two strikeouts and allowed two runs. Adams pitched five innings in Saturday’s game and got four strikeouts while allowing only two runs.
Morro and McDowell led the team in runs scored as they made it around the field four times in the series. Hansen had six hits throughout the three games with Wiley close on his heels with five hits.
The Drovers will be back in action Jan. 31 as they’ll travel to Salina, Kan. and take on Kansas Wesleyan University at 12 p.m. and William Penn University at 3:30 p.m.
Matthew Yokum is a third-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
