Scorpions halve another twinbill
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - Ryan Macdonald smacked a three-run homer to pace the University of Texas at Brownsville at Texas Southmost College to an 8-3 victory over College of the Ozarks in the first game of a doubleheader, but Justin Harwell's dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave the Bobcats a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
"Anytime you go on the road and win a series, it's great," Scorpions coach Bryan Aughney said. "The two losses we had were frustrating. In the game we lost Friday, the pitchers couldn't find the strike zone. When they get their opportunities, they got to get the job done."
Aughney was pleased with his team's efforts and scoring opportunities.
"Overall, we played real well," Aughney said. "We scored runs when we needed to. We just didn't finish. We have to be focused for every pitch for every game, because you never know when your opportunity is going to come."
The Scorpions begin a string of 17 straight home games March 14 against Fisher College.
"It will be nice to be home for a while, host some teams for spring break, and be ready for that first conference game," Aughney said.
UTB-TSC 8, College of the Ozarks 3
The Scorpions (8-15) took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the third, only to see the Bobcats (5-11) score three runs to cut it to 4-3. UTB-TSC then added three in the fourth and one more in the fifth to put it away.
Zack Moya (2-2) pitched his first complete game of the season for the Scorpions. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked seven.
In the three-run third inning, Macdonald tripled and came home on Juan Munoz's single. Munoz then scored on Gilbert Puente's double.
In the fifth, Matt Warner singled and Peter Maldonado reached on a bunt single before Macdonald sent the first pitch over the center field fence to make the score 7-3.
In the eighth, Warner was hit by a pitch and scored on Maldonado's double.
The Scorpions had 11 hits, two each by Warner, Maldonado, Macdonald, Munoz and Scott Price.
College of the Ozarks 6, UTB-TSC 5, 9 innings
UTB-TSC forced extra innings in the seventh inning with the help of a dropped fly ball with two outs.
The Scorpions scored in the top of the ninth on a Maldonado single, and Price doubled to take a 5-4 lead before the drama in the ninth with two outs.
Maldonado had three hits and Jose Guerra two. Guerra and Robby Mang scored twice and Warner drove in two runs.
Tony Lerma pitched six strong innings, striking out seven and walking only one. He allowed five hits and only two earned runs. Evan Hardman took the loss, pitching two strong innings before allowing the only two hits he surrendered.
