EDMOND, Okl. - The East Central University baseball team traveled to Edmond one last time to play their third and final game of the UCO First Pitch Classic tournament, this time, matching up against tournament host University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos on Monday.

Ezra Gustafson took the mound for the Tigers and delivered an impressive first start of the year, allowing just one run and two walks while striking out five over six strong innings. He held the Bronchos hitless through the first half of their lineup, surrendering only two hits in his entire outing. 

The game remained a stalemate until the Bronchos broke through with two outs in the bottom of the third. A two-out triple into the right-center gap, just out of the reach of the right fielder, put a runner on third. The next batter followed with a single, giving the Bronchos a 1-0 lead. ECU responded with a quick 1-2-3 inning to keep the score at 1-0. 

In the sixth and final inning of Gustafson's start, he found himself in a jam with one out and runners on first and second after a walk and a hit batter. He got his ground ball to third base, starting a 5-4-3 double play to escape the inning unscathed a solidify a quality start. 

The Bronchos would go on to add multiple runs twice more in the game—scoring two in the seventh and extending their lead further in the eighth, taking advantage of infield miscues and free passes. 

ECU put together some solid swings throughout the lineup, but every well-struck ball seemed to find a perfectly positioned Broncho fielder. The Tigers struggled to generate consistent offensive pressure, unable to get key hits to fall, ultimately falling 7-0.

Offense was limited on both sides, with the Bronchos tallying five hits to the Tigers' four. 

Zac Carroll recorded another multi-hit game, making it back-to-back multi-hit performances and his second straight game with an extra-base hit. Ethan Rone and Trace Necessary, who made his first start of the season at third base, accounted for ECU's other two hits. 

Out of the bullpen, Cameron Ebert and Beau Driggers made their first appearances of the year. Ebert threw 1.2 innings, while Driggers came in to record the final out of ECU's defensive time with a strikeout. 
The Tigers will now return home to Ada, Oklahoma, for their home opener tomorrow, Feb. 4, when they host the Rogers State University Hillcats.