CLARKSVILLE, ARKANSAS - The Howard Payne University baseball team split the double-header versus the Ozarks dropping game one 5-4 but winning game two 12-11 on Friday in Clarksville, Arkansas.Â
GAME 1 | Ozarks 5, Howard Payne 4
It was a close game one, as the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets was unable to push that tying run across, and came up one run short of victory, falling to the Ozarks Eagles 5-4.
Brandon Taylor (2-1) took the loss on the mound for Howard Payne (9-20, 5-14).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Yellow Jackets put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the second inning. John Garza drove in two runs for Howard Payne with a single, that scored Seth Bowman and William Burford.
The Eagles then rallied to score three runs and take a 3-2 lead before the Yellow Jackets got back on the board in the seventh. Howard Payne plated two runs off of Ozarks pitching, punctuated by a run-scoring double off the bat of Elijah McNair, which brought the Yellow Jackets lead to 4-3. The Yellow Jackets were unable to hold the lead, as Ozarks scored two times in the bottom half of the seventh to grab the 5-4 win.
GAME NOTES
» Howard Payne's highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed two runs across.
» Howard Payne went 3-for-7 (.429) with runners in scoring position.
» Howard Payne pitchers faced 33 Ozarks hitters in the game, allowing four ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out two.
» The Yellow Jackets drew four walks from Ozarks pitching.
» Bowman led the Yellow Jackets at the plate, going 2-for-2 with an RBI.
» Ozarks was led offensively by N. Bennett, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
» J. Estrada led the Eagles pitching staff, throwing six innings of two-run ball.
GAME 2 | Howard Payne 12, Ozarks 11
The Howard Payne Yellow Jackets rallied from down 11-9 in the eighth inning to win in breathtaking fashion, scoring three runs in the ninth to earn a 12-11 victory over the Ozarks Eagles in game two.
Nicholas Richards (1-1) got the win out of the bullpen for Howard Payne (10-20, 6-14). The right-hander went two innings, giving up one run on three hits, allowing two walks and striking out two.
At the plate, the Yellow Jackets were paced by Derek Gifford, who went 5-for-6 on the day with three doubles and an RBI. Taylor Griner put together a noteworthy effort as well, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Seth Bowman also chipped in for Howard Payne, putting together three hits in six trips to the plate while adding a double and three RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Yellow Jackets got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning. Howard Payne got an RBI single from Bowman, scoring Gifford from second base.
The Eagles then rallied to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead before the Yellow Jackets got back on the board in the fourth. Howard Payne brought home a pair, with one run driven in by Gifford's single, which brought the score to 3-2 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.
Ozarks came back to even the ballgame at three before Howard Payne reclaimed an 8-3 advantage in the fifth inning. The Yellow Jackets bats heated up in the inning, scoring five runs, including a three-run home run off the bat of Griner.
The Eagles fought back, closing the gap to 8-5 until Howard Payne added some insurance in the seventh. Griner crossed home plate with the lone run of the inning for the Yellow Jackets, bringing the Howard Payne advantage to 9-5.
Ozarks then mounted a comeback, taking an 11-9 lead heading into the ninth, when the Yellow Jackets re-gained a 12-11 advantage. The score remained 12-11 for the rest of the game, as the Yellow Jackets held on for the win.
GAME NOTES
» Gifford compiled five hits on the day for Howard Payne.
» Gary Blair struck out seven Eagles hitters.
» Howard Payne got a fantastic power hitting day from Gifford, who reached safely with three extra base hits.
» Howard Payne's highest scoring inning was the fifth, when it pushed five runs across.
» Five Yellow Jackets had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Yellow Jackets had a total of 19 hits.
» The Yellow Jackets out-hit the Eagles at a 19-18 clip.
» Howard Payne went 7-for-22 (.318) with runners in scoring position.
» Howard Payne pitchers faced 50 Ozarks hitters in the game, allowing seven ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out nine.
» Gifford led the Yellow Jackets at the plate, going 5-for-6 with three doubles and an RBI.
» Ozarks was led offensively by B. Smith, who went 4-for-6 with two doubles and two RBI.
The Yellow Jackets will look to ride their momentum into the series finale as they take on the Ozarks at 1:00 PM in Clarksville, Arkansas.Â
