#3 USAO Comes Up Short Against #1 MACU in SAC Tournament Semifinal

CHICKASHA, Okla. – Monday morning, the No. 3 seed University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (34-16, 17-7 SAC) suffered a tough 15-8 loss in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament against No. 1 seed Mid-America Christian University (39-11, 20-4 SAC).

With the loss, the Drovers are now 50-18 against the Evangels all-time, a series that dates to Feb. of 2005. Furthermore, USAO is 39-9 against MACU since 2011.

The Drovers were red hot to begin the morning, bringing in four runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by Ian Ortiz's three-RBI double in the left field gap. 

However, the Evangels responded with 14 unanswered runs, scoring three in the top of the third inning, followed by six runs in the fifth, four in the sixth, and one in the seventh. 

USAO cut the deficit to 14-8 with two runs in the seventh, followed by two more in the eighth.

The Evangels scored the final run of the game in the top of the ninth. 

Both offenses found frequent success, with each team tallying 15 hits. The Evangels launched a program record of seven home runs, while the Drovers were unable to hit a ball out of the stadium. MACU committed one fielding error, while USAO was perfect fielding the baseball. 

Ian Ortiz led the Drovers at the plate, going 4-5 with a double and four runs batted in. Christopher Martinez concluded 2-4 with a double, three runs scored. Gunnar Hansen went 2-5 with a run batted in, while Ben Bach went 2-4 with a run scored. 

Peyton McDowall went 1-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in. Gage Ninness and Gabriel Arroyo each singled and scored, while Ben Lawson singled and drove in a run. Devin Alvarez finished 1-5 with a double. 

 Brian Ereu got the start on the mound for the Drovers and was dealt his first loss of the season as he went 4.0 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, and he struck out six batters. Despite suffering the loss, Ereu is still the NAIA win's leader with a 12-1 record. 

He was followed by seven relief pitchers, including Naton Herchock, Tristan Perry, Alden Norquist, Hagen Earls, Fernando Medina, Camden Gipson, and Boone Lasater. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Drovers now await the NAIA Baseball Selection Show to determine their future. The selection show is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, at 4:00 PM CT on the NAIA's official YouTube channel. 

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