ADA – The East Central University baseball team fell, 5-15, to Arkansas-Fort Smith in the first game of the 2016 season at Ken Turner Field.

Photo Gallery

The Tigers (0-5) were led by junior Thomas McGarry, who went 3-of-5 at the plate, with two doubles and a single.  McGarry added an RBI and scored once.  Junior Jake McKeel and redshirt junior David Fernandez both added two hits.

ECU used four different pitchers in the game, with sophomore Shae Edmonds suffering the loss, allowing five hits and three runs and striking out two batters.

The Lions (5-0) opened the game by taking a 0-2 advantage at the top of the first inning.

ECU cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning for a 1-2 score.  Junior Riley Roberts led off by being hit by a pitch and then advanced to second on a passed ball and third when senior Casey Kenney grounded out to second.  McGarry earned the RBI for the inning when he hit a double to right center to score Roberts.

UAFS increased its lead to 1-4, with a run in both the second and third innings.

The Tigers fought back in the bottom of the third to make it 3-4.  After the first out of the inning, McGarry hit his second double of the game.  Another out was then recorded, but that didn't stop ECU.  Junior Kaleb Matthews scored the first run with a single to left center and junior Josh Reeves added the second with a single to center.

ECU tied the game at four in the bottom of the fourth.  Roberts led off the inning by drawing a walk.  McGarry singled through the right side and was sent home when junior Trevor Huie singled through the left side.

The Lions regained the lead in the fifth and added to it in the seventh, with two runs in the fifth and a single in the seventh for a 4-7 lead.

The Tigers added a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-7.  After the first two outs, Fernandez hit a double to left field and was then able to score on a passed ball from second.

The eighth inning again saw UAFS score a single run to increase the lead back to 5-8.

The Lions took control in the top of the ninth, scoring seven runs for a 5-15 advantage.

ECU got runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to get a run across the plate, for the 5-15 final.

The Tigers will head to West Alabama, Feb. 11-13 for a three-game series with the Tigers.