Box Score AUSTIN, Texas - Looking to advance in the ASC Tournament, the East Texas Baptist University baseball team were undone by a late rally by the University of Ozarks, which would lead to a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to end their season.
Zach Gartner and
Dylan Sumpter led ETBU with two hits and an RBI each.
Derrick Findley would take the loss going 7.2 innings allowing three runs on four hits while striking out nine batters. Sam Swartz had two RBI to lead the Eagles while Jack Waggoner got the win in relief with 2.2 innings allowing one hit. Corey Steward would get the save for UO.
Findley would get into an early jam in the bottom of the first inning as he would put the first two runners on base. But he battled back to retire the next three hitters to have a scoreless first. After an ETBU threat in the second inning led to nothing, the Tigers broke through on an RBI single by Gartner for a 1-0 lead in the third. Another ETBU threat in the fifth inning was halted by UO pitching. But in the sixth, Sumpter's two-out single drive in
Zachary McAdams for a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Findley was in cruise control until the bottom of the eighth. The Eagles rallied by putting the first two runners on. Two outs later, it was back-to-back hits that led to three runs for UO. Down, but not out, ETBU put together one last rally by loading the bases with one out. However, ETBU's rally on a double play as the Eagles hung on for the win.
ETBU ends their season with a record of 21-21.