Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ARKADELPHIA, ARK. – The East Central University baseball team dropped two close games to Ouachita Baptist in Great American Conference action.  The Tigers (2-7) first fell 1-3 and then 2-3 in the second half of the double-header.

ECU was led by senior Ethan Gold, who hit .500 for the day.  Gold tallied three hits, scored two runs and added an RBI. The Tigers also saw two hits from juniors Nick Spini and Luc Pomales.

Junior Oscar Gomez threw the first seven innings of game one, allowing just one hit and no earned runs.  He earned a 0.00 ERA and .048 opponent batting average, with nine strikeouts.  Junior Icezack Flemming started the second game for the Tigers, throwing six innings and recording 10 strikeouts.

ECU will remain on the road to face Texas Wesleyan, Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m.

Game 1 – OBU 3, ECU 1
Ouachita Baptist was the first to score, with a single run in the bottom of the first inning for the 0-1 lead.

The Tigers countered with a run in the top of the third to tie the game at one.  Senior Ethan Gold started the inning with a single to short, stole second and was advanced to third on a ground out by junior Casey Chenoweth.  Gold was able to score when junior Ariel Adut ground out to short in the next at bat.

Both teams had several chances to score in the remaining innings, with ECU leaving six runners on base and OBU seven through the eighth inning.  In the bottom of the eight, Ouachita Baptist broke the stalemate with two runs in the bottom of the eight for a 1-3 advantage.

Game 2 – OBU 3, ECU 2
OBU was again the first to score in the second game of the day, tallying two runs in the bottom of the second.

The Tigers cut the deficit to one in the top of the fourth, with a two-out rally.  Gold and junior Casey Kenney each hit singles to left field and the bases were then loaded with junior Andrew Ayrado was hit by a pitch.  That allowed junior Ty Huie to earn an RBI when he drew a walk.

ECU tied the game at two an inning later.  Senior Josh Lavender started the inning by reaching base when he was hit by a pitch.  Spini sent him to second with a single to right field and junior Luc Pomales put runners on first and third with a fielder's choice.  That left Gold open for an RBI when he hit a single to right field.

OBU did not waste any time getting the lead back, as they garnered a run in the bottom of the fifth.

The score remained that way through the next inning and left ECU with one chance to force extra innings in the seventh.  After the first two outs of the inning were recorded, Spini hit a single to right center, but the rally was short lived as the next batter flew out to end the game.