Seguin, Texas-Texas Lutheran University eliminated the Eagles from the American Southwest Conference baseball playoffs with a 2-0 win Saturday in Seguin, Texas.
Game two of the best-of-three series got excellent pitching performances, with Bulldog starter Jeremy Macklin going the distance. Ozarks’ starter Todd Koch tossed six innings and allowed only three hits during that span. Koch, who tied the single-season school strikeout record with 74, ended the game with eight K’s. Macklin’s shutout included 12 strikeouts and four hits. A solo homer by Joe Gentry in the second inning gave the Bulldogs (30-12) a 1-0 lead. The score would remain so until the ninth when Texas Lutheran manufactured a run on an RBI single by Andrew Femath.
Koch overcame flu-like symptoms throughout the game to keep the Bulldog bats quiet. Koch started the game with three strikeouts in the first frame and would later work his way out of a jam in the third. Texas Lutheran drew back-to-back walks, but Koch forced an infield pop-up and catcher Jeremy Hogan threw out Femath at third on an attempted steal. Koch ended the frame by striking out Drew Farr. Ozarks (17-25) threatened in the fourth when Hogan led off with a single. After a strikeout, Hogan moved to second on a Bruce Cameron groundout. Macklin quickly ended the rally with a strikeout. In the fifth, Chris Dreidric recorded a two-out single. Driedric moved into scoring position by stealing second, but Macklin got another strikeout to keep his shutout intact.
The Bulldogs had a chance to break the game open in the eighth, but relief pitcher John Scheuring closed the door. With a runner on, Scheuring allowed a single and a walk to load the bases. The lefty then got Drew Farr to hit into a fielder’s choice, fanned Gentry and got Cody Miller to groundout.
Koch (3-5) absorbed the loss. Macklin moved to 6-1 on the season.
Hogan led the Eagles with a 2-for-4 performance.
Topics: Athletics