CLARKSVILLE, Arkansas – Following a win last night, the East Texas Baptist University baseball split their two games against Ozarks today. ETBU scored 19 runs on the day with 12 in the final game and now stands at 9-3 and 2-1 in the American Southwest Conference.

In the first game, five runs by Ozarks in the bottom of the sixth inning would doom ETBU as they fell 8-7. Kameron Sumrall had two home runs in the game with five RBI. Josh Warbington would also contribute with two hits while Dynas Doud had an RBI as well. Kyle Loson got the start and took the loss as he pitched 5.2 innings allowing eight runs on 12 hits and walked three. Jacob Wadle also appeared in the game to pitch and he would give up no runs and two hits.

ETBU would then rebound to take the second game of a double-header in eight innings by the score of 12-2. Tyler Bates led the way with two homers and five RBIs. Doud would have four hits and one RBI while scoring two runs. Dylan Sumpter, Conner Combs, Sumrall, and Warbington would also have hits in the game. On the mound, Cody Pierce would get his first win of the season going six innings allowing one run on 10 hits while striking out six and walking two. Jimmy Russo would also see action and he would pitch two innings where he struck out two while giving up a run. 

Game 1 – Ozarks 8, ETBU 7

Neither team would score until the bottom of the third when Ozarks would plate two runs on an RBI single. ETBU would answer in the top of the fourth with two of their own as Sumrall drilled a two-run homer to center. Yet, Ozarks tallied one to retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth. But ETBU's bats put them back in the lead as Bates would hit a fielder's choice resulting in an error that scored the tying run. Doud would then hit a sacrifice fly to left, which put ETBU ahead 4-3. Sumrall would then hit his second homer, a three-run shot, to make it 7-3.

Ozarks however would answer with five runs to take the lead in the bottom of the 6^th with two outs. Connor Combs did get a single and stole second in the top of the seventh, but he was stranded there as ETBU was unable to drive in him giving Ozarks an 8-7 win.

Game 2 – ETBU 12, Ozarks 2 (8 innings)

Bates started it off with a bang in the final game of the series as had a solo homer in the first to put ETBU up 1-0. In the third inning, Zach Compton would circle his way on the bases to score while Doud and Mason Aldredge also scored on an error by Ozarks to make it 4-0. Ozarks would break the shutout in the bottom of the third on an RBI single to make it 4-1.

After two scoreless frames, Combs would add another run on a solo shot in the sixth inning. That would soon be followed by a bases-loaded gram slam by Bates, making his second home run of the game and increasing ETBU's lead to 9-1. Warbington would give ETBU a 10-1 lead with an RBI double in the seventh inning. Ozarks added a run to make it 10-2 in the bottom half of the seventh. A Doud double and a Sumrall single would lead ETBU to a 12-2 margin before the pitching of Russo shut the door on Ozarks in the eighth.

ETBU returns home this coming weekend with a three-game series against McMurry. Friday's game starts at 7:00 pm while Saturday's double-header starts at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm.