Box Score SHAWNEE, OKLA. – On a very windy day, the East Central University baseball team won a scoring battle with St. Gregory's, 24-16, in non-conference action at Bill Nicklas Field.

Box Score

The Tigers (11-10) saw six players with multi-hit games, with junior Nick Spini leading the team with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.  Senior Josh Lavender added two hits, with six RBIs.  Junior Garrett Donohoe continued his strong performances for ECU with two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.

Junior Icezack Flemming stepped in during the seventh inning to shut down the Cavaliers (5-14), who had tallied 17 hits in the first six innings.  Flemming earned the win, throwing two innings and striking out five of the six batters he faced.  The Tigers' pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts on the day and allowed 18 hits to ECU's 14.

ECU came out swinging in the top of the first, with Donohoe hitting a solo home run to left field for a 1-0 lead.

The advantage was short lived as the Cavaliers added a run in the bottom of the first to knot the game at one.

The Tigers added a run in the top of the third for a 2-1 lead.  Junior Ty Huie hit a one-out double to left center and was joined on base by Donohoe, who was walked.  That allowed Spini to earn an RBI with a single up the middle.

SGU again responded in the bottom of the inning, but this time they added three runs for a 2-4 lead.

ECU came back in the top of the fourth, with six runs to take an 8-4 advantage.  Junior Luc Pomales started the inning by drawing a walk and the bases were loaded when both senior Ethan Gold and junior Casey Chenoweth were hit by pitches.  Junior Andrew Ayrado earned the first RBI with a sacrifice fly to center. 

The next run scored on a base hit by Huie.  The next two runs scored because of a wild pitch and a double-steal.  Spini added the final two runs with a home run to center field for the 8-4 lead.

Like the rest of the innings where the Tigers scored in the top of the inning, the Cavaliers responded and cut the lead to 6-8 with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.

ECU added three runs in the top of the fifth.  Pomales was walked to open the inning and was joined on base by Chenoweth, who was hit for the second-straight inning.  Ayrado added a single to right center to load the bases.  That set up Lavender for a three-RBI triple to left field that bounced off the fence to give ECU an 11-6 advantage.

The lead was short lived, as SGU scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 11.

The Tigers regained the advantage after a four-run top of the sixth inning.  The bases were loaded after junior David Terrazas and Pomales singled and Gold was walked.  After the second out of the inning was recorded, Ayrado earned an RBI when he was hit by a pitch.  Huie added an RBI with a walk and Lavender added the final two runs with a single up the middle for the 15-11 lead.
The Cavaliers tied the game at 15 after a four-run bottom of the sixth.

ECU took a 20-15 lead after five runs in the top of the seventh.  Spini started the inning with a single through the right side and was sent home on a double to center field by Terrazas.  Pomales and Gold were then walked to load the bases.  Ayrado added two RBIs with a shot to center field the resulted in an error. 

Huie loaded the bases again with a walk and Lavender earned an RBI with a bases-loaded walk.  The final run of the inning was scored on a wild pitch for a 20-15 Tiger's lead.

Pomales started the eighth by reaching on an error and was joined on base by junior Casey Kenny who walked.  Ayrado then earned an RBI with a double to right center.  The second run was scored on a balk and Donohoe added two RBIs with a double to right center for a 24-15 lead.

The Cavaliers added one run in the bottom of the ninth for a 24-16 final.

The Tigers will be in action again this weekend for a non-conference three-game series with Abilene Christian, March 14-16 on the road.  ECU will also battle Oklahoma Baptist, Monday, March 17 in Shawnee.