HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas - East Central advanced to the final of the Great American Conference Baseball Championships for the first tiime in program history as the Tiger defeated rival Southeastern Oklahoma State, 17-11. The Tigers also became the first No. 8 seed in tournament history to make the final
Bracket 1, Game 6 - No. 8 East Central 17, No. 4 Southeastern Oklahoma State 11 || Box Score ||
The. Tigers scored in each of the first five innings and overcame allowing eight runs to the Savage Storm in their half of the first. Eight different Tigers scored a run and eight collected at least one hit. Ryan Strickland went 5-for-6 with five RBI. He scored three times. Cooper McCage scored four times. Max Tremblay went 3-for-7 with two doubles and three RBI.
In the third, trailing 8-3, the Tigers sent 13 to plate en route to scoring eight runs. Mason Shimkus opening the scoring by drawing a bases loaded walk McCage singled home the second run of the frame. A Tyler Akers hit by pitch made the margin 8-6 Ryan Strickland drew the Tigers even with a two-run single. Max Tremblay, who opened the inning with a double, doubled again to plate two runs. Joey Allen scored the final run of the inning courtesy a Pryce Jackson fielder’s choice.
In the fifth, the Tigers extended their lead to 15-8 when Mason Shimkus homered Strickland drove in two with a single.
Three Tiger relievers covered the final 8.2 innings. The trio of Cameron Ebert, Andrew Black and Blake Seefeldt allowe just three runs on six hits. They struck out seven. Ebert collected the win, his first of the season.
Full East Central Recap
Southeastern Oklahoma State Recap
Bracket 1, Game 5 - No. 4 Southeastern Oklahoma State 21, No. 5 Southern Arkansas 19 || Box Score ||
Southeastern's offense piled up 32 runs over two games, picking up a 21-19 win over Southern Arkansas.
For the third time this season Southeastern scored 21 runs in a game, doing so by setting a handful of records in the process. SE and SAU combined for the most runs and total bases in a GAC Tournament game with the teams also combining for the most home runs in a game while SE had the most of any single team with seven. Olson tied the SE record for home runs in a game with three as he posted a 3-for-4 outing with three homers and four RBI.
Austin Parker turned in a four-hit outing, including two home runs and five RBI. JJ Bush and Ryan Kirk each added a home run and, while Logan Rose and Alex Showalter each doubled.
Jax Heid matched Parker with four hits while Rose finished with three, while Kirk chipped in two.
Parker plated five RBI, while Olson and Kirk drove in four each. Bush added three RBI, while Showalter and Heid drove in two and Easton Ford plated one.
Southeastern Oklahoma State Recap
Southern Arkansas Recap