CLARKSVILLE, Ark. - The Hendrix College baseball team built some momentum headed into this weekend's Southern Athletic Association Tournament with a 12-6 victory over the University of the Ozarks Eagles in Clarksville on Tuesday afternoon.
Ryan Ritz went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored while
Wyatt Hogan and
Matt Simmons each lifted home runs off the Eagles' pitchers. Hogan,
Harley Faye, and
James Martin collected two RBI each as the Warriors rolled to the win.
Colten Poellinger earned the win on the mound, tossing three innings and allowing just two earned runs on four hits.
Brian Commerford and
Colin Martell each made relief appearances, and
Thomas Weber and
Nick Land combined for three scoreless innings to finish the game off for the Orange and Black.
Hendrix jumped on the Eagles with a three-run first inning. Three hits and an error led to three Hendrix runs with Newville cranking an RBI double and Faye providing a two-run single to give the visitors an early lead. Ozarks responded with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame, but Hogan answered in the second with a solo bomb to left center, making it 4-1. The Warriors tacked on two more runs on an RBI groundout from
Drew Judson and an opposite field single from Weber. Ozarks hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame to make the score 6-3 after two innings.
In the third, Hendrix extended their lead to 7-3 when Hogan earned his second RBI of the day on a single through the left side, scoring
Spencer Summers. Hendrix was held scoreless until the sixth inning when
Matt Simmons crushed a three-run home run to right-center, putting the team ahead 10-3. Ozarks came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, stringing together three hits and two walks to make it 10-6.
The Warriors provided a pair of insurance runs in the eighth inning when Martin connected on a two-run single, bringing home Judson and Simmons to make it 12-6. Weber and Land combined to shut down the Eagles' bats the rest of the way as the Warriors earned their 18th victory of the season.
Hendrix Notes- In seven appearances,
Nick Land has thrown 10.0 innings, allowing just one earned run on the year for a 0.90 ERA.
- Ritz closes out the regular season with a six-game hitting streak, going 11-for-18 (.611) during those six games.
- Ritz finishes the regular season with a .426 batting average, currently third all-time among single-season hitting performances in program history.
- Hendrix doubled their home run total from two to four in this game. The last time the Warriors hit multiple home runs in a game was February 18, 2014, also at Ozarks.
Ozarks Notes- Andrew Beck went 4-for-5 with two RBI while Evan Castleberry went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run.
- Six different pitchers appeared for the Eagles, but starter Will Tucker was given the loss, allowing six runs in 1.1 innings.
- Despite losing two of three to the Warriors this year, Ozarks still owns the all-time rivalry with a 38-27 record against the Warriors.
Up NextHendrix travels to Jackson, Miss. for the SAA Tournament, and will face Rhodes College on Friday at 12:30 p.m. in their first game of the postseason.
