ADA, Okla. – The East Central University baseball team overcame an early deficit to clinch a 14-9 victory over Randall University in their first home game of the 2024 season at Ken Turner Field on Thursday afternoon.
 
The victory marks a significant milestone for Head Coach Kevin Paxson, securing his first win as the leader of the Tiger baseball program.
 
"It was great to win the home opener," said Paxson. "The game got away from us early, but it was great to see the guys continue to stick to our plan at the plate and get the win. Jacob Poff came in, hung some zeros, and got some momentum back in our dugout. Justin Chitty did a tremendous job to finish out the game. Hopefully, a comeback win like this will give us some momentum going into the series with Fort Hays State."
 
Despite Jaret Johnson's RBI single, which scored Nick Blankenship in the first inning, the Tiger offense struggled in the following innings, allowing Randall to seize control of the game.
 
Following a scoreless second inning, the Saints put up crooked numbers in the top of the third, driving in eight runs on six hits to establish a commanding 8-1 lead. They managed to extend their lead to 9-1 with another run in the subsequent inning, but the Tigers got it going again in the home half.
 
Lucas Barnes drew a bases-loaded walk, sending Austin Wood across home plate to get ECU back on the board. Then, Nick Blankenship hit a bases-clearing double down the left field line to score Tanner Collins, Britton Sperry, and Barnes, narrowing the gap to 9-5.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Tigers leveled the score at 9-9, courtesy of Barnes' leadoff bunt single followed by Blankenship's triple, which resulted in both Barnes and himself scoring after a Randall throwing error.  
 
A bases-loaded walk drawn by Christian Whitaker in the seventh inning propelled the Tigers into the lead for good. ECU continued to add insurance runs after capitalizing on a wild pitch from Randall, allowing Blankenship to score. Pinch hitter Krew Taylor then came up big with a two-RBI double that plated Whitaker and Johnson, extending the lead to four runs. DeAngelo Morales would further contribute with an RBI single, securing the 14-9 lead.
 
Justin Chitty's solid relief pitching in the final two innings ensured Randall was kept at bay, preserving the Tigers' hard-earned victory.
 
Nick Blankenship, Jaret Johnson, and Austin Wood each went 2-for-4 at the plate with Blankenship leading with four RBIs while Johnson had three. Tanner Collins, Krew Taylor, Cole Tracy, DeAngelo Morales, and Lucas Barnes added one hit each.
 
The ECU baseball team will quickly turn around for a two-day doubleheader series against Fort Hays State University beginning Friday, Feb. 9^th at 12 pm.