ENID, Okla. – Henderson State emerged as the only school at the Great American Conference Baseball Championships to start 2-0 after the Reddies defeated rival Ouachita Baptist, 4-3 in a Battle of the Ravine showdown 380 miles from Arkadelphia, Arkansas in Sunday's finale from David Allen Memorial Ballpark. Chris Hunt allowed one earned run in 7.1 innings and Carlos Rodriguez homered for the second time in as many days.
|
GAC Baseball Championships - Game 6 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
#2 Ouachita Baptist (25-16) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
|
#4 Henderson State (26-17) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
- |
4 |
9 |
3 |
HOW THEY SCORED:
HSU 1st – Lance Fields flied out to left field; Claude Johnson scored.
OBU 3rd – Justin Weigle reached on a fielder's choice; Jakahari Howell scored.
HSU 4th – Carlos Rodriguez homered to left field; Conner Brackhahn scored.
HSU 5th – Tadarious Hawkins advanced to third on a wild pitch; Lance Fields scored.
OBU 8th – Weigle stole second and Parker Norris stole third; Weigle and Norris scored.
AT THE PLATE:
HSU – Rodriguez: 1-for-4 HR, 2 RBI; Jordan Taylor: 3-for-4; Johnson: 2-for-3, R, 2B
OBU – Norris: 2-for-2, 2B, SB, 2 BB
ON THE MOUND:
W – Chris Hunt (5-3): 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R/1 ER, 3 K/3 BB
L – Conner Reed (3-3): 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R/3 ER, 3 K/2 BB
SV – Nick Vanthillo (9): 1.0 IP, 0 H
NOTABLE:
-
Henderson State: 2-0; entered the 2015 GAC Championships with one all-time postseason win
-
HSU: last undefeated team at the GAC Championships; the last undefeated team at the last two Championships have failed to win the Championship
-
HSU’s Rodriguez: became fourth player in GAC history to homer in consecutive GAC Championship games (OBU’s Melby, SAU’s Rucker and Rademacher; all in 2014)
-
Rodriguez entered GAC Championships with one home run (against OBU); has hit two at GAC Championships
-
HSU’s Taylor: 3-for-4, now hitting 13-for-23 (.565) vs OBU this season
-
OBU’s Norris: 2-for-2 with two walks – reached base all four plate appearances, rest of OBU reached base five times in 31 appearances
WHAT’S NEXT:
Ouachita Baptist: Plays Southern Arkansas at Noon on Monday.
Henderson: Advances to play Ouachita Baptist/Southern Arkansas winner at 7 PM on Monday.
|
GAC Baseball Championships - Game 5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
#1 Southern Arkansas (36-16) |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
9 |
0 |
|
#3 Harding (27-24) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
8 |
15 |
0 |
Harding's Davis Richardson capped a five-run two-out ninth-inning rally with his second home run of the game, an opposite field blast to give the Bisons the most unlikely of victories, an 8-5 win against top-seeded Southern Arkansas in Sunday's second Great American Conference Baseball Championship contest from David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
HOW THEY SCORED:
SAU 3rd – Byron Reichstein homered to left center; Carver Rademacher scored.
SAU 3rd – Justin Buchanan doubled to left center; Trevor Rucker scored.
SAU 3rd – Jon Phillips reached on a fielder's choice; Chris Quinn scored.
HU 4th – Davis Richardson homered to left field; Noah Chandler scored.
SAU 7th – Billy Germaine walked; Buchanan scored.
HU 7th – Harrison Hunter singled through the right side; Kyler Offenbacker scored.
HU 9th – Zac Stewart singled through the left side; Offenbacker scored.
HU 9th – Chandler singled through the left side; Hunter scored.
HU 9th – Richardson homered to left field; Chandler scored and Stewart scored.
AT THE PLATE:
SAU - Reichstein: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI: Rucker: 1-for-4 SB; Phillips: 2-for-5 RBI
HU - Richardson: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI; Hunter: 4-for-5, R, RBI
ON THE MOUND:
W – Zac Stewart (4-3): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K/1 BB
L – Travis Johnson (2-4): 0.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R/3 ER
NOTABLE:
-
Davis Richardson: second game-winning home run in GAC Baseball Championships history (SAU's Jason Dahl, vs OBU in 2012 title game
-
Richardson: third player to record multi-homer game at the GAC Championships (SAU's David Harris vs UAM on 5/6/13 and Trevor Rucker, 5/5/14 vs ATU)
-
HU's Hunter: 4-for-5; went 4-for-16 vs SAU during the regular season
-
HU's Offenbacker: reached base for the 21st game
-
Harding's first win this season when trailing after seven innings (1-12)
-
Third-straight year in which SAU lost either its first or second GAC Championship game
WHAT’S NEXT:
Southern Arkansas: Plays the Ouachita Baptist/Henderson State loser at Noon on Monday.
Harding: Advances to play Southeastern Oklahoma State at 3:30 PM on Monday.
|
GAC Baseball Championships - Game 4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
|
#6 Southeastern Oklahoma State (18-24) |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
15 |
2 |
|
#5 Arkansas Tech (30-21) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
2 |
HOW THEY SCORED:
SE 3rd – Greg Husnander homered to left field.
SE 3rd – Cody Coats flied out to center field; Kaleb Thomas scored.
SE 4th – Thomas singled through the left side; Chance Burcham scored.
ATU 4th – Cole Fergus homered to left field.
SE 5th – Corban Taylor singled to left field; Dylan Helms scored.
ATU 5th – Fergus singled to left field; Caleb McKinnon scored.
SE 6th – Husnander singled up the middle; Brayon Colley scored.
SE 6th – Thomas singled on a bunt to third base; Burcham scored on a throwing error.
SE 6th – Helms grounded into double play; G. Husnander scored.
AT THE PLATE:
SE - Thomas: 4-for-5, RBI, R; Husnander: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; Burcham: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 R
ATU - McKinnon: 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, R; Fergus: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI; Collin O'Neill: 2-for-3, 2 BB
ON THE MOUND:
W – Dylan Linke (4-3): CG, 9.0 IP, 11 H, 2 R/2 ER, 5 K/5 BB, 162 pitches
L – Cody Jones (8-3): 5.0 IP, 13 H, 7 R/6 ER, 3 K/1 BB
NOTABLE:
-
Dylan Linke threw a GAC Championship record 162 pitches (old record: 147 by ATU's Ryan Taylor vs SAU on 5/5/13).
-
Brandon Grimsley: 2-for-4, extends hit streak to 12 straight (hitting .531 in that span)
-
Thomas: 10-for-22 vs Arkansas Tech this season
-
Southeastern picks up first win the GAC Championships since beating ATU on 5/5/12
-
McKinnon: 3-for-5 to finish the season on an 11-game hitting streak
-
Arkansas Tech finished 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position
-
ATU falls to 3-8 at the GAC Championships
WHAT’S NEXT:
Southeastern Oklahoma State: Will play an opponent TBD at 3:30 PM on Monday.
Arkansas Tech: Eliminated.