ADA – In the first games of the 2017 season at Ken Turner Field, the East Central University baseball team fell to Central Oklahoma, 5-12 and 2-7, in non-conference action.

Photo Gallery

The Tigers (0-6) were paced by junior Connor Stevenson, who hit .429 for the day, with three hits, two home runs, two runs and two RBIs.  Senior JT Stevenson added a .400 average, with one run and two doubles.

ECU put a total of eight pitchers on the mound, with juniors Brandon Dusenberry and Shae Edmonds earning the starts.  Dusenberry threw 5.2 innings, striking out four.  Edmonds added 4.2 innings, with two Ks.

UCO 12, ECU 5
In the opening game of the day, the Bronchos (5-1) didn't wait too long to get their bats going, putting three runs up in the top of the second.  UCO added a run in the third and two in the fourth for a 0-6 lead before ECU could get on the scoreboard.

Connor Stevenson got the first run for the Tigers, with a solo home run to left center in the bottom of the fourth.

The Bronchos added another run in the fifth and three in the sixth to push the advantage to 1-10.

Connor Stevenson then hit his second home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth to start the inning off for ECU.  JT Stevenson followed with a double down the left like and was sent around when junior Kade Hayes singled up the middle for a 3-10 deficit.

UCO pushed the lead back to 3-11 with a run in the seventh, but it was countered by a run in the bottom of the inning by the Tigers.

Freshman Grant Powell started the inning by being hit by a pitch.  After an out, junior Casey Bowen singled and after the second out Connor Stevenson was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  That allowed senior Jake MeKeel to earn an RBI with a single up the middle.

The Bronchos then added a run in the eighth for a 4-12 score.

The Tigers were the final team to score, but were only able to add one more run in the bottom of the night for the 5-12 final.  The run came on a single from Bowen and a double from MeKeel.

UCO 7, ECU 2
UCO again got out to a quick lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first and adding a third in the fourth.

ECU cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth, earning two runs for a 2-3 score.  MeKeel reached due to an error and after an out senior Trevor Huie sent him in with a triple to right center.  Junior Jacob Cowling earned the final RBI with a single through the right side.

However, that would be the last runs for the Tigers, while the Bronchos added four in the fifth for a 2-7 final.