Published: March 07, 2008 02:06 am            

Eagles rally for first conference win

ALVA, Okla. - Oklahoma Christian picked up the first Sooner Athletic Conference win of its new baseball era Thursday afternoon at Northwestern Oklahoma State.

The Eagles pounded out 14 hits on their way to a 10-7 win. OC moved to 6-9-1 overall and 1-9 in the SAC with the victory.

OC trailed 7-4 entering the ninth inning, but the Eagles plated six runs in the frame go up for good.

Jeff Davis drove in Jordan Price and Ray Long on a no-out double to get the comeback started. Davis then came around on a Tyler Gipson single to knot the game in a 7-7 tie.

With the bases loaded and one out in the inning, Austin Reid stroked a two-RBI double that brought Josh Balch and Gipson home. After Quaid Johns scored on a wild pitch, the Eagles held a 10-7 lead.

In the bottom half, Tim Dodd retired the first two Rangers on groundouts to the short stop before allowing a double to Clint Dodds. But Dodd struck Christopher Glass out looking to squash the threat and earn the win.

OC jumped out 2-0 in the first inning when Gipson drove in Davis and Price.

Stephen Sutton, the Eagles’ starter in the game, allowed just one hit in the first five frames.

NWOSU finally got on the scoreboard with a two-run sixth that tied the game.

The Rangers tacked on five more runs in the seventh. The big blow came Glass single that plated a pair.

But the Eagles shut NWOSU down from there.

Josh Balch blasted a two-run homer in the eighth that brought OC within striking distance and set up the final frame.

Gipson was 3-for-5 with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Balch was 2-for-4 with three runs driven in.

Davis (2-for-5), Price (2-for-6), Johns (2-for-4) and Reid (2-for-2) all had two-hit games.

Sutton missed out on his first win of the season despite a solid effort. The Rosemark, Tenn., native allowed five runs on only six hits in seven innings of work.

Dodd (2-0) was the winner after a stellar relief appearance of just one hit and no runs over two innings.

The Eagles and Rangers will play again on Saturday afternoon at OC’s Dobson Field. The first pitch will go plateward at 12 p.m.

        

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