(May 15, 2022) Enid, Oklahoma - With their backs against the wall, the Bucks won a run rule game early Saturday afternoon and advanced to play South Arkansas on Saturday evening. The previous game went into extra innings, so the game started at approximately 8:30 pm. However, there was a lightning delay in the top of the fourth inning. Play was resumed a little before midnight and carried into Sunday morning.
Randy Little Jr. (Pine Bluff, AR) got the start on the bump and put up a zero in the top of the first inning. The Bucks would produce 3 runs in the bottom half after walks loaded the bases for Luke Rice (Scott, AR). He would hit a sac fly to right field to open the scoring. Next at-bat, Wesley Featherston (Hope, AR) hit a RBI single to right field. After a walk to reload the bases, a Mason Reynolds (Fort Worth, TX) walk plated a run to make it 3-0.
Little surrendered a run in the top of the second, but the responded with a 7 run inning. In the inning, there were 4 walks, an error, a double, and a home run that produced the runs. Eli Garrison (North Little Rock, AR) hit a 2-RBI double to left field before Jackson Baker (Sherwood, AR) hit a line drive over the left field fence to make ti 10-1 after two innings.
South Ark chipped away at the Bucks lead with a 2-run third and a 5-run fourth inning, when the lightning delay occured. All 5 runs were scored before the delay. Little's day was done after 3.0 innings. Keelan Hodge (Junction City, AR) entered the game to start the fourth and pitched 0.2 innings, giving up all 5 runs. Ike Pelts (Lamar, AR) entered the game after the delay and would pitch 3.1 innings, giving up only 1 run on 4 hits. The sophomore struck out and walked a hitter apiece.
After a scoreless fifth inning, the Bucks scratched across a run on a Trace Watkins (Sheridan, AR) RBI single to left field that mae it 11-8. South Ark produced their 1 run against Pelts in the top of the eighth before chasing Pelts from the game. Daegan Covington (Taylor, AR) entered the contest with 1 out and held the Stars at bay. In the bottom half, the Bucks loaded the bases and plated a run on a passed ball. After an out, Eli Garrison delivered a 2-RBI single to extend the lead to 14-9 going into the top of the ninth.
South Ark would hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth, but Covington retired the next three batters he faced to pick up the save.
Ike Pelts (1-0) picked up his first win of the season in relief.
The Bucks will play again in less than 12 hours at 1 pm against Murray State College. If the Bucks win, they will then again play at 4 pm in the championship game against NOC-Enid at 4 pm to try and force the "if neccessary" game on Monday.
#GOBUCKS