Tigers drop midweek game to Southern Naz
Mar. 28—The East Central University baseball team collected eight hits but couldn't produce enough runs in a 9-2 loss to Southern Nazarene in a midweek contest Tuesday afternoon at Ken Turner Field.
The Crimson Storm improved to 10-21 on the year, while ECU dropped to 6-27.
Southern Naz 9, ECU 2
The Tigers struggled to generate offense, recording their first hit in the third inning.
Southern Nazarene led 4-0 before East Central got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning.
DeAngelo Morales was hit by a pitch to lead off that frame and Latta High School product Kale Williams followed with a base hit. Morales raced to third on an error and scored on an RBI single from Dione Allen to get ECU within 4-1. The uprising stopped there however when SNU pitcher Jacob Martinez struck out the side to strand Tiger base runners at first and second.
The Crimson Storm padded its lead with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to go on top 7-1.
East Central's final run came in the bottom of the eighth inning. T Akers led off with a base hit, stole second and rushed to third on a wild pitch. Akers scored on an RBI double by Chris Griffis.
ECU got runners at first and third but couldn't produce another run.
SNU tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Griffis finished 2-for-4 to pace the Tigers at the plate.
Martinez and Dax Edmonds had two hits apiece for Southern Nazarene. Martinez finished 2-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run scored and Edmonds went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Martinez turned in a strong performance on the bump for the visitors. He struck out 11, walked none and allowed just one earned run in 7.1 innings of work.
Cayden Blanton absorbed his first loss of the season on the mound pitching 3.2 innings while Chase Owen and Jarod Leroux relieved for the final five innings.
The ECU baseball team will be back at Ken Turner Field this weekend to host Oklahoma Baptist University. The teams will square off at 2 p.m. on Friday and at noon on Saturday.
Note: East Central Sports Information Director Sydney Dungen contributed to this report.
