Clarksville, Ark. ? Scott Dietz homered twice and Jonathan Cox picked up his first collegiate win in Ozarks' split against Simpson College Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles took game one 6-4 behind a strong outing from Cox and home runs from Dietz and Jeremy Hogan. Cox (1-1) started and went seven innings, struck out eight and allowed just five hits. Cox, who issued two walks, kept Simpson (1-1) scoreless through two and two-third innings before giving up a two-run homer in the third. Ozarks battled back in the bottom of the third collecting three hits and scoring three runs. With two outs, Tad Turner doubled to the gap in left field. Chris Driedric followed with a double down the right field line to score Turner. Dietz then hit a shot over the left field wall to bring in Driedric. The Storm answered with two runs in the top of the fourth to go ahead 4-3. But Ozarks took the lead for good in the fifth on three hits and two runs. Hogan added an insurance run in the sixth with a solo shot. Cox worked three scoreless innings to end the game.
Dietz and Driedric went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI.
Ozarks left 13 runners on base and went into an 8-0 hole after five and one-half innings in game two.
Starter Travis Conner fanned seven through three innings to keep Simpson scoreless. Conner allowed just two hits during that stretch, but Simpson got on the board in the top of the fourth when it scored three runs on five hits. The Storm added five runs in the fifth to build a 8-0 advantage. The Eagles’ offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth when its first three batters reached base. Hogan recorded a sacrifice RBI to score one run, and Mitchell Powers would do the same later in the inning for Ozarks’ second run. Mike Schmeck ripped a single to right field to bring in Dietz for the final run of the inning. Dietz later smashed his second homer of the day to get Ozarks within 8-4. The Eagles, who had four hits in the eighth, manufactured a run when Dietz singled in Turner, who had earlier reached base on an infield hit. Ozarks ended the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts.
Hogan went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Dietz was 3-for-5 with 2 RBI.
Conner (0-2) took the loss after tossing four innings.
The Eagles will host Hendrix College Tuesday in a double-header beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Topics: Athletics