ADA, Okla. – The East Central University baseball team hosted Ouachita Baptist University for their second Great American Conference series of the season and first conference home series of the year at Ken Turner Field on Saturday afternoon. The game was closely contested early on, but Ouachita pulled ahead midway through, ultimately defeating ECU 9-3 in game one.
 
The series will conclude with a doubleheader tomorrow, beginning at 12 p.m.
 
The first two innings were largely uneventful, with only one batter reaching base between the teams. But ECU sparked a two-out rally in the third, as Tyler Akers and Zac Carroll hit back-to-back singles and Weldon Sherrell followed with a walk to load the bases. However, a strikeout ended the threat, stranding all three runners. Ouachita answered with a bases-loaded situation of their own in the bottom of the third, but ECU escaped unscathed thanks to a pop-up to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, ECU broke through, scoring two runs on two hits. Seth Brecheen delivered a two-RBI double down the left-field line, bringing home Strickland for ECU's first run. Mason Shimkus then followed with an RBI double to right-center, plating Brecheen for a 2-0 lead.
 
However, ECU's lead was short-lived. Ouachita capitalized in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on three hits and an ECU error to take a 4-2 lead. The purple Tigers added to their advantage in the sixth with a three-run home run, extending their lead to 7-2.
 
ECU had an opportunity to claw back in the seventh. Akers led off with a double, followed by a hit-by-pitch to Carroll and a sacrifice bunt from Sherrell to put two runners in scoring position. However, back-to-back flyouts ended the momentum, and the orange and black Tigers could not cut into the deficit.
 
Ouachita added two more insurance runs in the final two innings, extending their lead to 9-2. In the bottom of the ninth, ECU scored one final run on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Strickland to bring Sherrell home, but the orange and black Tigers' comeback attempt fell short as the game ended 9-3.
 
Joel Hogan started on the mound but took the loss, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts. Nate Windle came in for 3.2 innings of relief, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out four. Beau Driggers and Jameson Ross pitched the final inning.
 
Tyler Akers was the only player with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 at the plate, while Ryan Strickland, Seth Brecheen, and Mason Shimkus each recorded RBIs.