ADA – The East Central University baseball team split the final games of the Great American Conference series against Harding at Ken Turner Field.  The Tigers (3-30, 2-22 GAC) fell 6-5 in the opening game of the day.  It looked like they would fall in the series finale, but they came back from an 8-0 deficit to claim a 9-8 victory.

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ECU hit .373 as a team for the day, with three players hitting .500 or better.  Sophomore Ryan White led the team with a .600 average, three hits, two runs and two RBIs.  Junior Josh Lincoln and sophomore Dakota Washington added .500 averages, with Lincoln netting four hits, two runs and two RBIs and Washington adding three hits, two runs and four RBIs.

Sophomore Wyatt Austin earned the win on the mound, throwing 2.1 innings and appearing in both games of the day.  Austin did not allow a hit or run and struck out a batter in the games.

The Tigers were scheduled to face Southeastern Oklahoma State, Tuesday, April 10, but that game was cancelled.  So ECU will next be in action April 13-14 for a GAC series at Oklahoma Baptist.

ECU 9, Harding 8
The second game of the day started with the Bisons (10-18, 12-13 GAC) earning a run in the first inning.  Harding added another run in the third and then sixth in the fourth to take an 8-0 advantage.

However, that is when the Tigers started their comeback, earning four runs in the fourth inning.  The first two batters recorded the first two outs of the inning, but Washington got things started when he was hit by a pitch.  White followed with a single and the first run scored when Lincoln doubled. 

Junior Tag Sparks added a single and RBI, while junior Marcus Sonnier loaded the bases with a single.  Senior Bryce Dimitroff scored two RBIs with a single up the middle to end the inning with ECU trailing 8-4.

The Tigers kept the Bisons scoreless in the fifth, while scoring four more runs of their own to tie the game at eight.  After the first out, sophomore Cale Ridling singled and was sent home when Washington tripled and then he scored on a wild pitch.

White kept things going with a walk and Lincoln put runners on the corners with a single.  Sparks then earned an RBI with a single.  The game tying run came across the plate when Dimitroff singled up the middle.

ECU's defense again held strong in the top of the sixth before they are able to earn the lead with a single run in the sixth (9-8).  Stevenson hit a one-out single and freshman Garrett Oldham was sent in to run.  Ridling followed with a double off the right field wall to put runners on second and third.  That allowed Washington to earn the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Bisons then had one final chance to force a tie or gain the lead, but were only able to get one base runner in the top of the seventh, giving the Tigers the 9-8 victory.

Harding 6, ECU 5
The Bisons got the scoring started with a run in the top of the first inning.  The game remained at 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when the Tigers were able to tie things up at one.

Stevenson hit a one-out single and was sent to third with an error and a single by Washington that loaded the bases.  The second out was then recorded before the run came across the plate when White was hit by a pitch.

The fifth was scoreless, but both teams put runs up in the fifth.  Harding was able to increase their lead to 6-1 with five runs in the top of the inning, while ECU cut right back with two of their own for a 6-3 score.

Senior Zach Trueblood started the inning with a double and was sent home when Lincoln hit a one-out double.  Lincoln then advanced to third on a wild pitch, allowing him to score when White grounded out to short.

The Tigers fought back with two more runs in the seventh for a 6-5 disadvantage.  Dimitroff and senior Trevor Crone singled and were sent to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Stevenson.  Washington sent both runs home with a single through the left side.

Both teams had chances to score in the final two innings, but no more runs crossed the plate for the 6-5 final.