POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH CURT COPELAND

LONGVIEW - After allowing runners on first and third with nobody out and the LeTourneau YellowJacket baseball team (16-11, 6-7 ASC) clinging to a 1-0 lead, junior Curt Copeland got two pop outs and a groundout back to the mound to keep the tying run stranded on third and pick up the huge victory over the University of the Ozarks.

Neither team could get anything going in the first two innings as Copeland and Ozarks starter Jeffrey Works were dealing early on. The Eagles (13-17, 2-8 ASC) looked to strike first in the top of the third as they got a runner on second with one away.

A base hit to right looked as though it would score the first run of the game, but an outstanding throw from senior Jay Lutz and an even better tag from freshman catcher Dillon Yates nailed the runner at home for the second out. Copeland got a pop up to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Copeland's pitch count continued to move up as he approached 70 pitches in only five innings in work, but remained strong throughout.

After two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, junior Bryce Griffin lined one to left center that went off the glove of the center fielder and brought Griffin to second as he advanced on the error. Shortly after, junior Garrett Methvin flied a ball to shallow left that went off the glove of the left fielder to score Griffin for the 1-0 lead.

From there, Copeland seemed to shorten up the count and get his pitch count down to continue throughout the game.

The Ozarks came up in the ninth determined to tie the game and possible take the lead as they led things off with a double followed by a single into left to make it first and third with no outs. Copeland showed determination and battled getting two straight first pitch infield pop ups for two outs. He then settled in and got a ground ball right back to him for the complete game shutout.

Copeland was outstanding, pitching all nine innings while allowing five hits, striking out five batters, and only walking one. He improves to 7-1 on the season and has lowered his ERA to 1.68.

It was a struggled at the plate as Methvin, Yates, sophomore Ryan Bertram, and senior Rhett Bohannon were the only ones to come away with hits. Griffin scored the only run of the evening while three Eagle errors proved to be the big difference. LeTourneau's defense was excellent all night, committing no errors.