Published: April 27, 2009 12:15 pm      

ECU baseball ends season on sour note

Durant — East Central University saw its 2009 baseball season end on a sour note Saturday as the Tigers dropped three Lone Star Conference games to Southeastern Oklahoma State.

ECU lost a 13-12 decision in a suspended game, which began Friday, and ended on Saturday in the 10th inning. The Tigers then fell by 5-1 and 9-8 scores in Saturday’s regular-scheduled doubleheader.

The losses ended ECU’s season at 14-38 overall and 13-31 in the LSC, while SOSU improved to 27-24 and 23-20.



SOSU 13, ECU 12 (Suspended game from Friday)

Torey Oller’s sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the 10th lifted the Savage Storm to the win.

The Tigers out-hit SOSU 19-18 and overcame a 10-3 deficit with three runs in the seventh and six in the eighth to tie the game up at 12 on Friday when play was called due to darkness.

Tyler Pybas and Ryan Estes each went 3-for-6 from the plate for ECU while Lucas Armenta, Kyle McCormick, Dusty Rowland and Tyler Gillum collected two hits apiece.

The big six-run, seven-hit eighth inning was highlighted by Pybas’ two-run double. Rowland also hit an RBI double while Jared Owen, Zach Hammons and McCormick each laced a run-scoring single.

Ryan Bowen went 4-for-6 with a double and RBI for SOSU while Oller was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in. Josh Rorex also hit a pair of doubles.

Reece Dodd got the win in relief while Andy Pendleton suffered the loss in relief.



SOSU 5, ECU 1

(Game 1 Saturday)

Dodd (11-3) allowed no earned runs off four hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts in going the seven-inning distance for the win.

Pendleton (2-6) suffered the loss after working just 1 2/3 inningsw. McCormick came on in relief and allowed just one earned run off five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Pybas was 2-for-2 with a double for ECU while Owen knocked in Armenta with a single to right field in the third for the Tigers’ only run. Armenta had reached first base on an error.

Tyler Johnson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Savage Storm and Robbie Morris added a homer.



SOSU 9, ECU 8

(Game 2 Saturday)

A huge Tiger rally fell one run short as the Savage Storm came away with the victory.

ECU trailed 9-0 before scoring six runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth.

Armenta went 3-for-6 from the plate and hit his fifth homer of the season – a three-run shot – in the seventh to fuel the six-run outburst. Owen and Andrew Minnich each hit an RBI double in the inning while Rowland had a run-scoring single.

The two runs in the eighth came off a bases-loaded walk to Pybas and a sacrifice fly by Owen.

Owen went 2-for-5 with his double and one RBI while Minnich was 2-for-4 with his one RBI.

Starting pitcher Justin Watley (1-5) was charged with the loss after going 5 2/3 innings. Trey Robberson went the final 2 1/3 innings in relief.

SOSU starter Blake Worthen got the win as the Savage Storm used four pitchers in the game.