ADA – The East Central University baseball team dropped the opening game of the three-game Great American Conference series against Oklahoma Baptist, 6-7, at Ken Turner Field.

The Tigers (9-24, 8-20 GAC) recorded eight hits as a team, with senior Kodiak O'Ravez earning a two-hit game, with one run scored.  Senior Trevor Huie added a hit, run and four RBIs.

Senior Dylan Sanchez started the game on the mound, throwing the first six innings, allowing 10 hits and three runs and striking out one.  Junior Kyle Britt finished the game, with two strike outs.

ECU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-0 lead.  Senior Jake MeKeel earned a lead-off double before senior Kaleb Matthews and redshirt junior Josh Reeves were walked to load the bases.  That set up Huie for his four RBIs when he hit a grand slam to left field.

The Tigers defense held strong until the fourth inning, when the Bison (24-15, 15-10 GAC) were able to tie the game at four.

The scored remained knotted at four until the sixth, when OBU took the lead with a single run.  The Bison added to the advantage with two runs in the seventh for a 4-7 score.

It took until the bottom of the ninth for ECU to score again, but their come-back fell just short with one two more runs added to the scoreboard (6-7).  O'Ravez started things off with a double to right field and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

After the first out, Matthews earned an RBI when he grounded out to first.  Junior Connor Stevenson was able to reach on an error to keep the inning alive.  Reeves was then walked before senior JT Stevenson claimed the second RBI with a single to right.  However, the next batter struck out for the final out of the game.

The teams will wrap up the series, Friday, April 14 with a double header slated to start at 1 p.m. at Ken Turner Field.