SHAWNEE, OKLA. – The East Central University baseball team started two hours late because of thunder storms for game one, started game two in smoke from wildfires across Oklahoma and then had a delay because of a sprinkler issue in their first two games of a Great American Conference series at Oklahoma Baptist.  The Tigers (3-32, 2-24 GAC) fell 13-5 in both games.

ECU was paced by senior Bryce Dimitroff and junior Marcus Sonnier, both hitting .500.  Dimitroff tallied four hits, two runs and five RBIs, while Sonnier added three hits and two runs.

The teams will wrap up the GAC series, with a single game, Saturday, April 14 at 12 p.m.

OBU 13, ECU 5
The Bison (23-14, 16-9 GAC) took control of the game early, going up 6-0 after the first and 9-0 after the second.

The Tigers were then able to get their first run across the plate in the top of the third inning.  Sonnier started the inning with a double to left and scored when Dimitroff singled.

OBU added three more runs in the fourth inning for a 12-1 advantage.  ECU countered with four runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 12-5.

Sonnier started the inning with a single and went to second when sophomore Cale Ridling was hit by a pitch.  That allowed Dimitroff to earn two more RBIs with a double to right center.  After the first two outs were recorded senior Connor Stevenson sent the final two runs home with a home run to center.

The Bison added one more run in the sixth inning for the 13-5 final.

OBU 13, ECU 5
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a home run by Dimitroff to lead off the game.  The Bison followed with a run of their own in the bottom of the first for a 1-1 tie.

ECU regained the lead in the second inning, scoring three runs for a 4-1 advantage.  Junior Tag Sparks drew a walk to start the inning and was sent to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Ryan White.  Dimitroff earned yet another RBI for the day with a single.  Stevenson added a second run for the inning with a double and was sent around when Ridling doubled for the 4-1 advantage.

OBU was able to tie the game at four, with three runs in the third inning, before the Tigers added a run in the fourth for a 5-4 lead.  Senior Trevor Crone doubled and scored when Stevenson singled to center.

However, that is when the Bison took control of the game, scoring three runs in the fourth for a 7-5 advantage.  OBU kept pushing and added four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth for the 13-5 victory.