(April 3, 2021) El Reno, Oklahoma – After splitting with the Cougars on Thursday at Union Bank Field, the Bucks travelled to the west side of Oklahoma City to conclude the series. After winning game 3, 14-5, the Bucks picked up the series win, 16-10. Both wins move the Bucks record to 16-13 and 5-3 in Region 2 play.

Game 1

After 2 outs in the top of the 1^st, Wesley Featherston (Hope, AR) reached on an error before Luke Rice (Scott, AR) hit his 5^th home run of the season. Next-at-bat, Dan Taylor (Rogers, AR) walked to setup Eli Garrison's (North Little Rock) 2^nd homer of the season to give the Bucks the 4-0 lead. In the bottom half, James McCormick (Benton, AR) got the start on the bump. He would give up back-to-back doubles, but only surrendered a run. Bucks led 4-1 after an inning.

After 2 outs in the 2^nd, Mason Reynolds (Fort Worth, TX) homered on a fly ball to left field to give the Bucks the 5-1 lead. McCormick held the Cougars scoreless in the bottom half as the Bucks held to their 5-1 lead.

In the top of the 3^rd, Rice reached on an error with 1 out and advanced to 3^rd on the same error. Dan Taylor would single and plate Rice. Taylor would then steal 2^nd base. With 2 outs, Daegan Covington (Taylor, AR) singled on a line drive to left field and plated Taylor. McCormick pitched another scoreless half inning as the Bucks led 7-1 after 3.

After a scoreless 4^th inning, the Bucks had 2 outs before a single and walk put runners on 1^st and 2^nd. Preston Lee (Maumelle, AR) continued to stay hot with a double to plate both Covington and Isaac Price (Siloam Springs, AR). Next at-bat, Mason Reynolds doubled to score Lee to put the Bucks ahead 10-1. In the bottom half, McCormick would surrender 5 runs, 2 on a home run. He was chased from the inning and replaced by Keelan Hodge (Junction City, AR). Bucks lead 10-4.

After a scoreless 6^th inning, the Bucks would add 4 insurance run. Isaac Price would lead off with a double. With 1 out, Mason Reynolds plated his 4^th RBI of the day with a single to left field. After a single, Reynolds would score on a passed ball and another pass ball would allow Cole Clark (Clarksville, AR) to take 3^rd base. With 2 outs and runner on 3^rd, Luke Rice would hit his 2^nd homer of the day (7^th of the season) to plate 2 runs to give the Bucks the 14-5 lead heading into the bottom half. Hodge would get a ground out and 2 strikeouts to end the game.

In the win, James McCormick (2-3) pitched 4.2 innings, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits, and he would strikeout 6 and walk 1. Keelan Hodge came on in relief to pitch 2.1 innings, only giving up a hit with 3 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Game 4

To start the 4^th game of the series, the Bucks and Cougars both went in order to start the game. Randy Little Jr. (Pine Bluff, AR) got the start for the Bucks. In the top of the 2^nd, a walk and hit-by-pitch put runners on. With 1 out, Rylee Huie (Pottsville, AR) hit a 3-run homer to give the Bucks the 3-0 lead. In the bottom half, Little walked a couple Cougars, but Huie picked off the runner at first to end the inning.

With 2 outs in the top of the 4^th, Price walked and Preston Lee doubled to put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd. Mason Reynolds continued his hot streak with a 3-run bomb for his 2^nd homer of the day to put the Bucks up 6-0 in the middle of the 4^th. In the bottom half, Redlands homered and put up 2 more runs to cut into the Bucks lead, 6-3.

The Bucks would get 2 of the runs back in the top of the 5^th. With 1 out, Covington singled and then stole 2^nd base before Rylee Huie hit a RBI single to right field. Next at-bat, Isaac Price doubled to put runners on 2^nd and 3^rd. Preston Lee would then plate Huie on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. The Bucks led 8-3 in the middle of the 5^th. The Cougars would add a run in the bottom half to make it 8-4 after 5.

In the 6^th, the Bucks would load the bases with 1 out and would plate a run on a Daegan Covington walk. Rylee Huie would then single to add another run to make it 10-4 after 6 innings. In the 7^th, the Bucks were not done. With 1 out and runners on 2^nd and 3^rd, Luke Rice would hit his 4^th homer of the series (8^th of the season) to put up 3 more runs for the Bucks. In the bottom half, Cooper Perry (Avinger, TX) would come on in relief. After hitting the first batter, he gave up a 1 out homer, but he would retire the next 2 hitters. Bucks lead 13-6 after 7 innings.

With 1 out in the top of the 8^th, a single, walk, and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. Cole Clark would hit a sacrifice fly to push a run across. But, the Bucks struck out to end the threat. Perry was able to strand a couple runners in the bottom half. Heading into the 9^th, the Bucks had a 14-6 lead.

In the 9^th, back-to-back singles with 2 outs put runners on 1^st and 2^nd for Isaac Price. He would double to centerfield to plate Covington. In the bottom half, the Cougars hit a homer and plated another run before Perry was chased from the game. Carson Crawford (Humnoke, AR) came in to pitch to try and record the last 2 outs of the game. He record an out to the first hitter he faced but would give up a single that scored a run and a walk that loaded the bases. He would record the final out of the game as the Bucks win 16-10.

In the win, Randy Little Jr. (3-0) would pitch 6 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3 and walking 5.

The Bucks play again on Thursday at NOC – Tonkawa.

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