Reddies split first two games at GAC tourney
ENID, Okla. — Henderson staved off elimination Sunday from the 2018 Great American Conference Baseball Championship with a 9-5 victory against Southwestern Oklahoma State at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
The fourth-seeded Reddies (30-19, 2012), ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Division II Central region, were close to elimination after dropping an 11-4 result to third seed Oklahoma Baptist (30-15, 20-10) Saturday evening. The Bison remained undefeated in the tournament following a 12-5 win over fifth seeded Arkansas Tech (29-22, 19-14) Sunday.
Tech opened the tournament with a win, defeating redshirt sophomore catcher Zach Muldoon and the second seeded Southern Arkansas Muleriders (33-17, 22-11) on Saturday. The Muleriders are ranked No. 2 in the Central region.
Conference champion Arkansas-Monticello (30-19, 23-10), ranked No. 8 in the region, was the shock first team eliminated from the tournament. The Boll Weevils lost,
13-8, to Southwestern (24-24, 17-14) on Saturday before falling, 15-6, to Southern Arkansas on Sunday.
Junior Zach Eschberger (7-4) left in the seventh inning Sunday after surrendering two more runs to Southwestern. The AllGAC Second Team selection allowed two earned runs and two unearned on six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in sixplus innings.
The two runs in the seventh inning cut the Henderson lead from 5-4 to 5-2. The Reddies then broke the game open in the eighth.
Senior second baseman Nolan Ryan hit a two-run home run to right field to extend the Henderson advantage back out to three runs at 7-4. After two walks and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for freshman center fielder Bryson Haskins, the Bulldogs handed the Reddies another run. A wild pitch to the backstop allowed senior first baseman Zack Gray to score and make it 8-4. Haskins then legged out an infield single to score junior shortstop Brandon Pollock and extend the lead to 9-4.
Junior reliever Taylor Langston, an AllGAC First Team selection, earned his ninth save of the season by recording the final seven outs. He allowed one run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Redshirt freshman left fielder Caleb Carr led off for the Reddies with a double into the right field corner on the second pitch he saw. Ryan then singled and Gray tallied Henderson’s third hit in a row for a quick 1-0 lead. Pollock reached base on a bunt and Ryan put Henderson up, 2-0.
Carr kept the Reddies alive in the second inning with a two-out infield single. Ryan smoked a double off of the wall in left-center field to put the Reddies in front, 3-0.
Southwestern starter Brendan Peitsmeyer lasted just 1 2/3 innings. Justin Moreno worked 5 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs one day after recording two scoreless frames against Monticello. A two-run home run by Alex Pimentel, GAC Newcomer of the Year, in the third inning made it a one-run game at 3-2.
Henderson answered in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Infield singles from senior designated hitter Dylan McCain and senior center Brentten Schwaab gave the Reddies runners on the corners with one out.
A squeeze bunt allowed McCain to score on the Bulldogs’ second errant throw of the game. A passed ball allowed Schwaab to score and put Henderson in front, 5-2.
Southwestern capitalized on two errors in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 5-4 before Henderson’s four-run eighth.
Henderson had 13 hits in the game. The win gave the Reddies their fourth straight seasons of 30 wins or more.
Oklahoma Baptist racked up 17 hits in Saturday’s win against Henderson. The Bison have won six games in a row and 10 of the last 11. Their only loss during that time was an 8-7 road defeat at Southeastern Oklahoma State (22-23, 17-15).
Henderson held a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning before Oklahoma Baptist scored nine runs in the final four innings. Senior starter Bryant Haralson (9-3) had 10 strikeouts and just one walk, but finished with six earned runs and seven total surrendered on 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings.
All-GAC Second Team selection Zane Gelphman opened the scoring in the third inning with his league-leading 17th home run of the season. McCain scored in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 2-1 on a bloop single to center field by sophomore third baseman Joe Myers. AllGAC Defensive Team member Brett Berghammer threw Haskins out at home on the play.
Haskins later led off the sixth inning with a hit and Schwaab reached base on a walk to chase the Oklahoma Baptist starter. A sacrifice bunt by Myers moved the runners to second and third for junior right fielder Joseph Shepherd to give the Reddies a 3-2 lead on a single.
Berghammer took the game back for the Bison with a threerun home run in the bottom half of the sixth. They led 5-3 in seventh and added three more runs on back-to-back home runs. Jake Gozzo’s 12th home run of the season ended Haralson’s day and P.J. Harris hit one off of junior Kris Priddy to lead 8-3. After Hender- son went down in order in the eighth, Oklahoma Baptist scored three more runs on four hits for an 11-3 lead.
Shepherd hit a solo home run in the ninth inning to pull one run back for Henderson and set the final score.
Henderson faced Southern Arkansas in an elimination game Monday afternoon. SAU won, 9-7.