NAIA
[Baseball] Drovers Lock Up No. 2 Seed in SAC Tournament
CHICKASHA, Okla. – Friday afternoon, the No. 10 ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (32-11, 17-6 SAC) locked up the No. 2 seed in the SAC Tournament with a double-header split against Texas Wesleyan University (32-17, 14-9 SAC). The Rams came away with an 8-3 victory in the opener, but the Drovers responded by earning a dominant 15-7 triumph. The Drovers improve are now 15-12 against the Rams all-time, a series that dates back to April 22, 2008. Additionally, USAO has now won 8 of the last 10 matchups between the conference foes. GAME 1 – The Drovers inability to bring in baserunners led to an 8-3 defeat in the series opener. USAO outhit the Rams by a margin of 9-6, but the Drovers left 13 runners stranded on the bases, while Texas Wesleyan left only three players stranded.The Rams took an early lead by scoring four runs in the top pf the first inning, followed by one more in the second. Science & Arts brought in a trio of runs in the bottom of the second, cutting the deficit to 5-3. The score remained 5-3 until the top of the sixth inning when the Rams delivered the dagger, with a three-run homer. The Drovers were unable to rally in the final two innings, thus suffering their third consecutive loss. Josh Harrel (JR/Cashion, OK) suffered the loss on the mound for the Drovers. Harrel allowed seven earned runs on five hits, and he struck out nine batters in 5.1 innings of work. Sean Craig (SR/Daly City, CA) relieved Harrel in the sixth inning and did not allow any runs in 1.2 innings on the bump. Craig fanned four batters and spared just one hit. Three different Drovers recorded multiple hits in the series opener. Gabriel Arroyo (SO/Arecibo, Puerto Rico) contributed a 2-3 performance that included a double and a run scored, while Brandon Shumway (SR/Chickasha, OK) concluded 2-3 with a double, a run scored, and two runs batted in. Joey Pena (SR/Mustang, OK) finished 2-4 with a double.Peyton McDowall (JR/Cibolo, TX) closed 1-3 with a walk and a run scored, followed by Luke Lewis (SO/Ft. Cobb, OK) who went 1-3 with a run batted in. Brock Henderson (JR/Chickasha, OK) singled as he went 1-4. GAME 2 – The Drovers scored early and often as they pounded out 13 hits to score their 15 runs in the win. After allowing the Rams to strike for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, the Drovers produced four runs in the home half of the first.Science & Arts extended their lead to 8-2 with another four-run inning in the bottom of the second.Texas Wesleyan rallied for a trio of runs in the top of the third, but the Drovers immediately responded with three runs of their own, and maintained the 11-5 lead until the fifth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, USAO scored their final four runs. The Rams rallied to score a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but it was too little, too late for the visitors. Kaden Alexander (JR/Broken Arrow, OK) earned the win and improved to 5-2 on the mound this season. Alexander allowed five runs in 2.1 innings, and he struck out a pair of batters. Brett Lorah (SR/Elgin, OK) delivered 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just four hits while striking out four batters.Hagen Earls (JR/Summerfield, OK) stuck out one batter in the seventh inning.At the plate, five different Drovers recorded multiple hits. Luis Pelayo (SR/Santa Cruz, Aruba) tallied a trio of hits as he went 3-4 with a double, four runs scored, and one run batted in. Peyton McDowall and Gabriel Arroyo each recorded two hits and three runs batted in. McDowall went 2-3 with a pair of walks, a homerun, and three runs scored, while Arroyo went 2-2 with a pair of runs scored. Gage Gaunt (SO/Clinton, OK) concluded 2-4 with a walk, a homerun, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Brock Henderson also went 2-4, adding a double, a walk, three runs scored, and a run batted in. Jake Womack (SR/Chickasha, OK) and Joey Pena each singled and drove in a run. WHAT'S NEXT?The Drovers and Rams will return to action on Saturday, April 30 for the regular season finale. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM at Bill Smith Ballpark, and USAO will be honoring their senior class at the conclusion of the contest. Stay up to date on all Science & Arts Athletics news by following us on our media platforms!Athletics Website: www.usaoathletics.comLive-stream: www.sacsportsnetwork.com/usao/YouTube: Drover AthleticsTwitter: @DroverAthleticsFacebook: @DroverAthleticsInstagram: @drover_athleticsGIPHY: www.giphy.com/USAODrovers