Bison baseball shuts out Northeastern at home

By Jared L’Atorre, Contributing Writer   (Courtesy photo/Bison Athletics)

OBU Baseball still sits over a .500-win percentage despite the up and down play in the second half of the regular season.

Back on March 13, the Bison took a win against East Central University by 14 runs.

It was a dominant game from the start, with the Bison scoring three runs in the first inning.

It only got better from there for the Bison.

OBU scored five runs in the fifth inning and nine runs in the sixth inning.

Seniors Brett Burghammer and Zane Gelphman along with juniors Jake Gozzo and Austin Cooper connected on a double in that game.

Eight batters connected on a hit while six of them connected on multiple. OBU had 16 hits in the game.

OBU then went on to Harding University and fell in their first game. The Bison led first in the second inning with senior Josh Timms scoring the first run of the game.

The Bison found themselves down three to one in the fifth inning until junior Garrett McKee brought in two runs on a single to tie the game. OBU found themselves down yet again in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch. OBU eventually lost the game on a walk-off walk. The score was five to four in a losing effort.

In their doubleheader back two Saturdays ago, they won the first game, three to nothing.

Gelphman hit a home run in the first inning while one runner was on base, making the score two to nothing.

The second inning piled on their lead after a Burghammer RBI single to make the lead three to nothing.

The damage was done early, and senior pitcher Mychal Yarbor allowed only three hits and picked up eight strikeouts.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bison were unable to perform the same, and suffered a six to nothing loss.

Starting Monday, March 19, the Bison would be at home for the nearly the next two weeks.

They started out against Northeastern State University. Right from the get-go, OBU trailed early in the game and it did stayed that way for the whole game.

The lone bright part of the game was a home run by Gozzo but it was certainly not enough as OBU fell, eight to two.

In their first game against Arkansas Tech, the Bison were facing a two to nothing deficit in the first. In the second inning, Timms scored in two runs as he was responsible for an inside the park home run.

Gozzo hit a home run in the same inning to take the lead. After Tech scored two unanswered runs, the Bison answered back in the fifth and sixth innings with senior Juan Gonzalez hitting a double and bringing in a run.

Gozzo homered once again in the sixth to make it a tie game. Tech went on to score four unanswered runs before the Bison went on a late push to win it, but it was not enough. Senior Matt Poulin and Berghammer hit home runs but it was not enough as the Bison fell short by one run.

In the second game, OBU fell four to seven despite winning the hit battle, the Bison were outscored. In their third game of the series, it was very tight throughout until an error cost Arkansas Tech the game.

Their ticket to victory came with Gonzalez scoring on a wild pitch with the game tied at five. Gozzo continued hot streak with another home run. Gelphman was also responsible for a triple in that game.

Last Friday, the Bison faced Northwestern Oklahoma and put on a rout after being down five to nothing in the top first inning.

They answered furiously by scoring six runs in the bottom half and 15 unanswered for the rest of the game. Poulin and junior PJ Harris hit homers, while McKee hit for a double.

Nearly every player joined the hit party in that victory. In their doubleheader on Saturday against Northwestern Oklahoma, OBU had no issues getting the win in their first game.

They led for most of the time and won the game 15 to 8. Junior Brett Bloomfield hit a homer and stole a base. Gonzalez, Timms, and Gozzo also hit homers, while Timms and Gozzo also connected on a double.

The Bison were also able to get the win in their second doubleheader game, eight to five. OBU scored seven unanswered runs after being down three to one.

Gelphman hit a home run, and Berghammer hit for a double. Senior pitcher Zach Fowler got his fifth win of the season, and OBU got their 20th win of the season.

OBU will go off to Weatherford for Friday and Saturday to take on Southwestern Oklahoma State in their next series. They go back home happy winning the series against Monticello.