LONGVIEW, Texas – Getting in two final games before turning the calendar to the month of April, the LeTourneau University baseball team picked up where they left off last night to win a pair of one-run games over the University of the Ozarks by scores of 4-3 and 9-8 at Conrad-Vernon Field in Longview, Texas on Saturday, March 31^st.
 
Winners of four-straight, LETU is now 16-10 overall and 8-4 in the American Southwest Conference while the Eagles improved to 13-13 overall and 8-7 in the ASC.
 
Game One:
Runs once again proved to be at a premium to open up the twin bill, with the YellowJackets using a leadoff walk and sacrifice fly to drive in the first run of the game to take a 1-0 over the Eagles. Aggressive plate appearances by both teams led to quick outs and a fast-moving game, with a total of six base runners on two hits through the first three innings of play. UO would tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, doing all of their damage with two outs. A two-out single would be followed up by an error that extended the inning and moved the Ozarks base runner to third before eventually scoring on an RBI single.
 
Stalled offensive production left the game tied heading to the bottom of the sixth, where LeTourneau managed to put together a three-hit inning and take advantage of a fielding error in the outfield to bring home three runs and take a 4-1 lead heading into the final inning of the day-opening seven-inning game. Things would get interesting in the top of the seventh as LETU would appear to be on their way to an easy inning before an error extended the game for Ozarks with two outs. Back-to-back hits then pulled UO to within one at 4-3 with a runner on second, eventually moving the runner over to third on a passed ball. With the game-tying run 90 feet away from scoring, the YellowJackets finally got the out they needed with a groundout to end the game to hold on for the one-run victory.
 
Junior Brandon Ramirez led the limited offensive output for LETU, collecting two hits and drawing one walk. Gonzalo Sosa had two RBI while Will Bradshaw, Jacob Jones, and Ramirez all scored one run. Andrew Harlan earned his second win of the year, allowing one run on five hits while throwing just 59 pitches in six innings of work. Kolton Eberlan worked two-thirds of an inning in relief before Bradshaw moved over from his infield position to get the final out of the game and earn his first save of the year.
 
Game Two:
A slow start in the series finale for LeTourneau saw Ozarks take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third after putting two runners on with one out and scoring on a fielding error. UO pushed their lead to 2-0 with back-to-back hits to lead off the top of the fourth inning as a double would be followed up by an RBI single to put LETU in their largest deficit of the series. The YellowJackets finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth by putting together a two-out rally as Bradshaw would reach with a one-out walk before stealing second to move into scoring position. Ramirez got LeTourneau on the board with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2. Noah Mahoney then delivered a two-run blast to left field to give LETU a 3-2 lead while bringing up Carson Dickey who extended the inning with a single to force an Ozarks pitching change. Eli Birriel gave LeTourneau their fourth-straight hit with a bunt single to extend the inning, allowing for a double-steal and throwing error to score dickey and extend the lead to 4-2.
 
The score would remain a 4-2 lead for the YellowJackets until the top of the sixth when the Eagles put pressure on LeTourneau and forced two errors to go along with three hits to score two runs and tie the game, despite seeing the go-ahead run thrown out at the plate on a single to center field. LeTourneau would be unable to reclaim the lead in the bottom of the sixth, but redeem themselves in the bottom of the seventh by putting the first five runners of the inning aboard and break the game open with a five-run inning.
 
Both teams would be retired in order in the eighth to send things to the ninth, where once again Ozarks would not go down quietly and make things interesting just as they had done all series long. A leadoff single and walk put runners on first and second with no outs before a fielder's choice saw everyone safe due to a fielding error by the YellowJackets. A fly out to left field would not be deep enough to score a run, leaving the bases loaded for UO's six-hole hitter who would clear the bases with a grand slam. With the five-run cushion now down to a single-run lead, LETU would get a fly out and ground out to end the game and sweep their first series of the season.
 
Mahoney carried the big stick for LeTourneau in game two, driving in four runs and scoring two more while going two-for-four at the plate while Dickey had a team-high three hits. Lee Hosie, Bradshaw, Dickey, and Birriel all stole one base in the victory, while LeTourneau as a team did not strike out a single-time. A total of three pitchers would be used by the YellowJackets in the game, with starter Bryce Brueggemeyer (3-3) earning the win after going 5.2 innings and allowing four runs on five hits while striking out three. A day after earning a win in extra-innings, Nate Hoelker would make a relief appearance and throw two and one-thirds innings before turning things over to Haden Simmons who pitched the final inning.
 
Just four more ASC series remain in the regular-season for LETU, with next week taking place at home as part of NCAA Division III Week and Homecoming for the YellowJackets. LeTourneau will take on Sul Ross State on Friday at 7 p.m. to open up a three-game set at Conrad-Vernon Field with both teams currently among the top three of the ASC standings.