Clarksville, Ark.-Bruce Cameron took a first pitch fastball over the left field wall in the bottom of the ninth to propel the Eagles to a dramatic 6-4 win over UT-Dallas Saturday.
Down to their last at-bat and trailing 4-3, the Eagles’ preseason All-America from Houston, Texas, became the hero hitting a three-run shot to end the game. UT-Dallas (10-9, 2-2) had their chances in the bottom half of the ninth, forcing a ground out and a fly out to put the pressure on the Eagles (8-10, 3-1). However, UT-Dallas reliever Jonathan Reeder then got a little wild, plunking both David Smith and Andrew Teaster. Cameron made the Comets pay with his 19th career homer, giving Ozarks the American Southwest Conference win.
On the mound Todd Koch gave up a pair of home runs in the fourth to put UT-Dallas up 3-0, but was otherwise solid. Koch went seven innings and struck out six. Bobby Osburn finished the final six outs and fanned three. The hard-throwing Osburn allowed just one hit and moved his record to 2-0.
In the fourth, Jeremy Hogan singled to left field and then Michael Prusator reached base on a catcher’s interference. With two outs, Chris Driedric came through with a single up the middle to score both and cut the deficit to 3-2. The Eagles would tie the game 3-3 in the sixth. Logan Kizer doubled to left center and a ground out to second base advanced him to third. Rusty Cordell then drove in Kizer on a sacrifice fly. But UT-Dallas scratched across a run in the eighth to go ahead 4-3.
Hogan finished 2-for-4. Cameron was 1-for-5 with 3 RBI.
The series will continue tomorrow in a double-header beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Topics: Athletics