Clarksville, Ark.- The University of the Ozarks had just five hits through six innings, but that all changed in the seventh as the Eagles exploded for six hits and five runs to fuel a 11-4 win over Sul Ross Sate University in the opening game of the Ozarks Classic Saturday.
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Sul Ross starter Zak Enriquez had fanned eight during that stretch, but Ozarks’ offense finally chased the junior right-hander out of the game in the seventh. Trailing 4-2 to begin the bottom of the seventh, Ozarks (7-2) recorded three singles to load the bases. With one out, Enriquez was then pulled out of the game and replaced by Joseph Gonzalez, who promptly gave up a hit to Mitchell Powers up the middle. Nick Brill followed with a double through the left side to score two more, and Ozarks went ahead 5-4. Powers would eventually score on a wild pitch and Tony Morales later singled to left field for an RBI to pad Ozarks’ lead.
http://youtu.be/fGY7Fa6OGjk
The Eagles scored a run in the second and another in the fourth behind a Taylor Parker RBI double and a John Singler fielder’s choice. Ozarks’ starter Tyler Erickson threw five shutout innings and gave up just five hits during that stretch. It wasn’t until the sixth that Erickson ran into trouble with the Lobos (1-9), but Alex Rodriguez came in and struck out Josh Vasquez to end the threat. Rodriguez (1-0) tossed 1.1 innings to receive the win. Rodriguez wasn’t the only Ozarks’ reliever to be effective. Bo Thomas tossed one hitless inning and Ian Bryan threw a scoreless ninth.
Sul Ross didn’t score after the sixth and recorded only one hit in the final three innings.
The Eagles had another balanced hitting attack as six different players had two hits. Singler drove in three and Brill scored three runs.
Ozarks will host Simpson College at 1:30 pm Sunday.
Topics: Athletics