MOUNTAINEER BASEBALL

Story by Aric Thomas
(4-30-07)

Eastern Splits Final Two Games with Fort Smith

The Eastern Oklahoma State College (29-21 / 8-12) split its final two Bi-State Conference games with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith on Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday the Mountaineers lost by a score of 4-3 and on Sunday the Mountaineers won 14-5.

On Saturday, Fort Smith jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first five innings.  Eastern rallied for two runs in the 6th and one in the 7th.  The Mountaineers threatened in the 8th leaving one runner on base and again in the 9th with the bases loaded, but they couldn’t push a run across to tie the game and they left 11 on base for the day.  Carey Crain (4-3) took the loss on the mound.  Ashton Mowdy pitched three innings of relief and allowed just one hit and no runs while striking out two.  Offensively, Gunner Glad went 3-4 to lead the 11 hit attack.  Kyle Price, Casey Gibson and Bryce Killingsworth each added two hits.

On Sunday, the Mountaineers scored 14 runs on 17 hits.  Trailing 5-4 heading into the 6th inning, Eastern took control offensively with three runs in the 6th, one in the 7th, three in the 8th and three runs in the 9th inning.  Austin Baker (1-0) picked up his first win of the year and really stabilized the game in 3 2/3 innings of relief.  Baker allowed just one hit and one unearned run while striking out three.  Levi Rhoades came on to throw the final inning and one third.  Rhoades didn’t allow a hit or a run.  Offensively, Dearth Parker led the way by going 4-5.  Gunner Glad added three hits and Justin Mitchell, Kyle Price, Ryan Davis and Casey Gibson each chipped in two hits.  Mitchell blasted his second home run of the season and he also added three runs and three RBI’s.  The Mountaineers also added 11 stolen bases as a team.

Eastern will take the field again on Monday at Grayson County College.  They will play a single nine inning game starting at 2:00 pm.