MOUNTAINEER BASEBALL

Mountaineers Score 5 in 9th to Defeat Fort Scott
Story by Staff – 2/23/09

The Eastern Oklahoma State College baseball team (4-7-1) rallied from a 7-3 deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning to knock off Fort Scott Community College on Monday.  The Mountaineers took the lead 1-0 in the 2nd inning.  Justin Klusak led off with a bunt single.  After Houston Slemp’s sacrifice bunt advanced Klusak to 2nd base, Jesse Santo drove a sacrifice fly to center field.  Fort Scott responded with two runs in the 3rd inning and two more in the top of the 6th. Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning, Eastern answered back with two runs.  Cameron Green was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Joe Spring added a sacrifice fly.  Fort Scott scored two more runs in the 7th and one in the 9th to take a 7-3 lead.  In the bottom of the 9th inning, Jeff Scardino and Stephen Hagen hit back to back one out singles.  Klusak followed with a walk.  After a RBI ground out by Slemp, Jesse Santo walked to load the bases again.  Pinch hitter Casey McCollum singled in a run and then Joe Spring singled in two runs to tie the game.  Ben Kozma stepped to the plate and added the game winning single.  Stephen Hagen had three hits on the day, Jeff Scardino had two hits and Justin Klusak scored three runs.  Buddy Burke (1-0) picked up the win after tossing two innings of relief.

The Mountaineers take the field again on Tuesday, February 23rd.  They will host Texarakana College in a double header beginning at 12:00 pm.