Clarksville, Ark.-Jimmy Pannell's solo home run in the bottom of the eleventh lifted Ozarks over Central Baptist College, 12-11, in a wild non-conference game on Tuesday afternoon.
It was Pannell’s first home run of the season and Ozarks (17-17) got two other long balls from unlikely heroes. Trailing 11-9 with two outs in the eleventh, Tyler Gideon cranked out a two-run shot to put Pannell in position for the game-winner. Pannell did just that when he sent the first pitch over the left field fence. Anthony Brandon’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh broke a 5-5 tie, but the Mustangs (8-24) went ahead 7-6 after Nathan Nalley’s two-run homer in the top of the ninth. Mason Seelinger followed with a solo shot to left field later in the inning to give the Mustangs a 8-6 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, David Smith smacked his first career home run to help Ozarks extend the game into extra innings. Smith’s two-run blast wouldn’t be enough because Central Baptist would add one in the tenth to put the pressure on the Eagles. With two outs, Caleb Hilton tied the game in the bottom half of the inning when he sent a solo shot over the left field fence. The Mustangs answered with two runs on three hits in the top of the eleventh, but the back-to-back home runs by Gideon and Pannell proved to be enough. The 3 ? hour, 35-hit game overshadowed Hilton’s record setting day at the plate. Hilton became Ozarks’ single season home run leader (12) and also set the new single season hit mark. Hilton’s record hit came in the bottom of the fifth when he drove a shot through the middle of the infield off Central Baptist College pitcher Aaron Gray. He broke the previous record of 59 set by Brett Hays and Anthony Brandon last season. He broke his own home run record he set last season when he hit 11. Ozarks scattered 21 hits, with each starter collecting at least one hit. Robby Finnell went 4-for-6. Gideon finished with a team-best 3 RBI. Mike Darr (1-0) received his first win of the year after pitching one inning. Ozarks will travel to Pineville, Louisiana, to face Louisiana College in a three-game series beginning this Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Friday’s double-header starts at 12:00 p.m.
Topics: Athletics