Clarksville, Ark.-Starting pitcher Cory Briggs struck out nine and then reliever Bill Smith closed the door in a 4-3 game one win, but Texas-Dallas came back to claim a 10-5 win in the nightcap Saturday.
Briggs (1-1) received the win after tossing seven innings and Smith picked up the save when he struck out all three batters he faced. Briggs allowed just six hits and issued only two walks. Jeremy Hogan hit a solo home run in the second to put Ozarks (6-12, 1-2 ASC) ahead 1-0. Texas-Dallas (12-6, 2-1 ASC) got the run back in the bottom half of the inning when Jason Diemer recorded an RBI double. Briggs kept the Comets scoreless until the fifth, with the Comets going up 3-1 in that frame. The Eagles made it 3-2 in the sixth when Scott Dietz doubled in Hogan. Ozarks scored again in the seventh to tie the American Southwest Conference contest after Chris Driedric hit a clutch triple to score pinch runner Jonathan Cox. Briggs then forced a pair of fly outs and a strikeout to push the game into the eighth. After a ground out, Hogan doubled to put the potential game-winning run in scoring position. With two outs, Mitchell Powers reached base on an error and Hogan crossed the plate on the same play for the game-winning run. Smith quickly found his groove as he retired the side on strike outs.
Hogan finished 3-for-4 with an RBI.
In game two, Texas-Dallas produced a six-run third inning to go ahead 8-4. The Comets held a 2-0 lead after the second, but the Eagles answered with four runs in the top of the third to gain a 4-2 advantage. Hogan was again the power source as he cranked out a three-run homer. Dietz followed with a homer of his own, this one coming with no one on base. But the bottom half of the third inning proved to be the difference as the Comets recorded seven hits and plated six runs.
Driedric went 2-for-3. Hogan had three RBI.
Cox, who was the starting pitcher, took the loss after tossing two and one-third innings. Brett Wood went one and one-third innings, and Travis Conner struck out four in two and one-third.
Ozarks will travel to Tyler, Texas, to face UT-Tyler in a three-game series beginning March 19.
Topics: Athletics