ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The East Central University baseball team closed out its Great American Conference road series at Ouachita Baptist University on Saturday, dropping both ends of the doubleheader. The Tigers rallied late in each contest but ultimately fell 9-6 in Game One and 7-2 in Game Two to conclude the series.
 
With the losses, ECU moves to 3-3 in GAC play and will return to Ada for a non-conference game against Randall University on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 2 pm.
 
Game 1| Ouachita Baptist 9, ECU 6
Ouachita Baptist struck quickly in the opener, scoring four runs in the first inning to take early control. The Tigers answered in the fourth, beginning their comeback effort. Logan Jeske singled down the left field line to drive in Blake Seefeldt, and Donovan Noble followed with a two-RBI triple to left center, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
 
OBU extended its lead with a solo home run in the fifth and added two more runs in the sixth to push the advantage to 7-3. ECU responded again in the eighth when Seefeldt launched a two-run home run to deep left field, trimming the margin to 7-5.
 
The home team answered with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the eighth to regain separation at 9-5. The Tigers continued to battle in the ninth, as Ryan Strickland delivered an RBI single to score Tyler Akers and make it 9-6, but ECU was unable to complete the rally.
 
Ryan Strickland led the Tigers with three hits and an RBI, while Blake Seefeldt added two hits, including a two-run home run, and finished with two RBIs. Donovan Noble recorded two hits and drove in two runs, highlighted by his two-RBI triple. Logan Jeske also tallied two hits and an RBI, and Diego Sotelo contributed a hit in the contest. Tyler Akers chipped in two hits as part of ECU's 12-hit effort.
 
Greyson Christian made the start for the Tigers, allowing three earned runs over 2.2 innings while striking out two. Ryan Dembroski provided 4.2 innings of relief, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out four to keep ECU within reach into the late innings. Caleb Peek worked the final two-thirds of an inning, surrendering two runs.
 
Game 2| Ouachita Baptist 7, ECU 2
In the series finale, Ouachita Baptist once again capitalized on early opportunities. The home team plated two runs in the second inning on a two-RBI single and added another in the third, aided by an ECU error, to build a 3-0 lead.
 
The Tigers began to chip away in the fifth when Ryan Strickland reached on a fielding error that allowed Donovan Noble to score, cutting the deficit to 3-1. ECU pulled within one in the sixth as Diego Sotelo delivered an RBI single to bring home Pryce Jackson and make it a 3-2 contest.
 
However, Ouachita responded in the bottom half of the sixth with a three-run home run to regain momentum and later added another unearned run to extend the lead to 7-2. The Tigers were unable to mount another late rally as the home team secured the series sweep on Saturday.
 
Diego Sotelo paced the Tigers with three hits and an RBI, turning in a strong performance at the plate. Ryan Strickland added a hit and drove in a run, while Pryce Jackson recorded two hits and scored once.
 
Tyler Akers, Max Tremblay, and Logan Jeske each contributed a hit in the contest as ECU totaled nine hits in the series finale.
 
Presley Tully got the start on the mound, working 5.0 innings while allowing three earned runs on six hits. He struck out six and kept the Tigers within one run before the decisive sixth inning. Caleb Ebert entered in relief and allowed three runs over two-thirds of an inning. Andrew Black recorded the final out of the frame, tossing a scoreless third of an inning to close out the game.