Pineville, La.-Louisiana College overcame Thursday's 8-6 loss and won the series with a pair of 4-2 wins over the Eagles Friday in American Southwest Conference action.
In game one, the Eagles (10-17, 5-6 ASC) held their only lead of the day in the first inning when Scott Dietz drove in Mitchell Powers, who had reached base on a single. Louisiana College (11-17, 4-5 ASC) came back in the bottom half of the first and scored twice to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Louisiana College starter Anthony Vangessel cruised through the next five and one-third innings by allowing only two more hits. Ozarks gave him trouble in the fifth as Dietz again drove in a run to cut the deficit to 4-2. Starter Cory Briggs scattered eight hits and fanned three in six innings of work. Briggs falls to 2-2.
Powers went 3-for-4 and Dietz finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In game two, Ozarks left 12 runners on base and produced just six hits to take another two-run loss. The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the third after recording two hits and taking advantage of an Ozarks’ error. Ozarks eventually generated a run in the fifth on a Tad Turner sacrifice fly. The Eagles had runners in scoring position in the sixth, eighth and the ninth innings, but only pushed one run across the plate during that span. Ozarks threatened in the eighth by loading the bases only to see the rally end without scoring a run. The Wildcats added a run in the eighth to increase their lead to 4-1. The Eagles again threatened in the top of the ninth when Ian Bryan reached on an error. After a strike out, Chris Driedric drew a walk. After another strike out, Briggs took a free base and Dietz made things interesting with an RBI single. The Wildcats then got the final out on a play at second base on Jeremy Hogan’s fielder’s choice.
Dietz went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Bobby Osburn (1-5) took the loss after tossing seven innings and striking out three. Osburn was not charged with an earned run.
The Eagles will travel to Russellville to face Arkansas Tech University April 6.
Topics: Athletics