(April 8, 2023) Tishomingo, Oklahoma - The Bucks dropped a pair of 3-2 games at Union Bank Field Thursday afternoon, but one could say that it was the Bucks best day of pitching this season. The men travelled to Murray State Saturday morning to conclude the series. After a pair of pitching duals, the bats came alive for both teams on Saturday.
Game One
The Bucks scored in every inning except for the fourth in the third game of the series. A hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded opened the scoring on the day for the Bucks in the opening inning. Next inning, Blake Ritter (Ashdown, AR) led off with a solo home run before Brayden Sites (Sheridan, AR) would hit a 2-out RBI triple to give the Bucks an early 3-0 lead. Murray State answered with a run in the bottom half, but Blake Ritter continued his day with a RBI double in the top of the third. The Aggies answered with a solo home run in the bottom half to make it 4-2 after three innings.
After a scoreless fourth, the Bucks played some small ball with a sac bunt by Trevor Flake (North Little Rock, AR) in the fifth to extend their lead. The next inning, Cooper White (Benton, AR) made the most of a lead off hit-by-pitch and single with a 3-run home run. The Aggies answered in the bottom half with 3 runs of their own, but the Bucks replied in the top of the seventh with another 3-run inning. Trevor Flake and Blake Hadsell (Keller, TX) hit a pair of RBI doubles in the inning, and Cooper White hit a sac fly to make it 11-5, which would be the final score.
Offensively, the Bucks hit four doubles, a triple, and two home runs. Blake Ritter was a triple away from the cycle in the contest.
Hunter Alexander (Bigelow, AR) got the start on the bump and lasted 6.0 innings. Alexander (2-1) gave up 5 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, recording 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Ashton Perkins (Pearland, TX) pitched the final inning, facing 4 hitters. He would give up a hit and record a pair of strikeouts.
Game Two
It was evident early on that the game would go back and fourth. The Bucks opened up with three doubles in the opening frame that produced a pair of runs. Blake Hadsell, Brayden Sites, and Casey Shipley (Prairie Grove, AR) all doubled in the opening frame. Murray State answered in the next two innings and had a 5-2 lead after a pair of innings.
The Bucks scratched across a run in the top of the third on a Trent Smith (Longview, TX) groundout and again in the fourth. Once again, Brayden Sites hit a RBI double to cut the lead down to one run, but the Aggies produced a run in the bottom half to keep their 2-run lead.
The game would then go back and forth through the middle innings. The Bucks would tie the contest in the top of the fifth on a 2-run home run by Brett Justice (Jacksonville, AR). The Aggies hit a solo home run in the bottom half, and then, the Bucks would plate 3 runs in the top of the seventh to gain a 9-7 advantage. Blake Hadsell, Ethan Perry (Benton, AR), and Casey Shipley all picked up RBI singles in the top of the frame.
Murray State cut into the Bucks lead to make it 9-8 going into the eighth inning and would eventually gain the lead in the bottom half, scoring 6 runs with 2 outs to make the final score of 14-9.
Jack Henry Pettit (Brookland, AR) got the start, lasting 6.0 innings in the no decision. He gave up 7 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits and struck out a pair. Kirk Martinson (Shreveport, LA) came on in relief and lasted 1.1 innings, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits. Martinson (1-4) took the loss in the game. Aden Almeida (Rogers, AR) pitched the final 0.2 innings, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and recorded a strike out.
The men are now 7-13 in Region II. The Bucks will play at home on Tuesday against Eastern Oklahoma State for a mid-week contest, and then, the men will play a 4-game series in Altus, Oklahoma against Western Oklahoma State on Friday and Saturday.
#DefendTheMountain