Clarksville, Ark.-Austin College took two of three from the University of the Ozarks baseball team over the weekend in American Southwest Conference play in Sherman, Texas.
Ozarks (8-10, 1-2) lost 7-11 on Friday and then split with the Kangaroos on Saturday, dropping the first game 2-4, but rebounded for a 7-3 win in the final game of the series. With the scored tied at 3-3, Austin (10-6, 2-1) scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to a 11-7 victory on Friday. The Kangaroos collected seven hits in the inning. Trailing 11-3 heading into the eighth, the Eagles scored four runs in the top of the inning, but it wouldn’t be enough to overcome the deficit. Ozarks held just one lead in the game thanks to a Caleb Hilton solo homerun in the top of the first. Robby Finnell hit a solo shot in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2. The Eagles struggled in the field committing four errors in the loss. Austin out hit the Eagles 18-10. Finnell finished the day with three hits and one RBI. Curt Dixon (2-4) took the loss. He had five strikeouts in five and one-third innings of work. Ozarks held a 2-1 advantage through five innings, but Austin used a three-run sixth inning to earn a 4-2 win over the Eagles in Saturday’s first game. Brett Hays singled in Logan Kizer in the top of the third to tie the score at 1-1. The Eagles scored in the fourth when Anthony Brandon homered to lead off the inning. Austin would then hold Ozarks scoreless for the next three innings to secure the win. Ozarks appeared to have the game in their hands after Ozarks’ starter Brian Heckmann got the first two batters to fly out in the bottom of the sixth. The Kangaroos, however, rallied to load the bases and eventually score three runs. Tyler Gideon went 2-for-2 in the game. Heckmann (0-3) received the loss after pitching five and two-third innings. The Eagles used a four-run fourth inning to pick up their first conference win of the season in Saturday’s second game. Trailing 2-1, Hilton and Heckmann led off the top of the fourth with walks. Hays then reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Brandon delivered an RBI walk to score one. Finnell followed with an RBI fielder’s choice and Kizer helped the cause when he drew a bases loaded walk. Justin Brown produced Ozarks’ first run when he singled in Finnell in the third. In the top of the fifth, Finnell recorded an RBI after a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-2. Ozarks’ pitcher Kyle Hudson came in for starter Chase Hale in the first inning and picked up the win. Hudson (3-0) pitched eight and one-third innings and allowed only one run. He struck out three. Hilton, Finnell, Brown and David Smith each collected two hits. Finnell and Brown had two RBI. The Eagles will host East Texas Baptist in a three-game series beginning with Friday’s nine-inning contest at 2:00 p.m. Saturday’s double-header starts at 12:00 p.m.
Topics: Athletics