OTTAWA, Kan. – The (13) Ottawa University baseball team took two victories from no. 22 Tabor College on Friday afternoon at Alumni Park. Ottawa won game one, 17-8, and took game two, 10-4. The game two win was OU's 14 straight victory, which is a new school. The Braves also tied the school record for single season wins (37), set a new single season home run (74) and stolen base (120) mark and
Holland Boan broke the single season home run record and it now leads the NAIA with 25 home runs.
Game One
Tabor struck first, taking a 3-0 lead over the Braves in the top of the first inning. Ottawa cut into the lead in its bottom half of the inning.
Jonah Weisner led off the Braves with a home run to left field, cutting the Bluejay lead to 3-1.
Tyler Farnham followed that with a triple to right.
Holland Boan scored him with a ground out to shortstop and OU was with in one run, 3-2.
In the bottom of the second, Ottawa tied the game. Weisner hit another home run to left field and the contest was tied 3-3.
Tabor retook the lead with a run in the top of the third, 4-3. Ottawa answered in the bottom of the third with seven runs on five hits and one error. Boan and
Logan Zozaya homered in the inning and Ottawa led 10-4.
The Bluejays scored four runs in the top of the fourth, cutting OU's lead to 10-8. After a scoreless fourth by the Braves, Ottawa pushed three runs across home plate in the bottom of the fifth. Weisner hit his third home run of the game, giving OU an 11-8 lead.
Farnham reached first on an error by the Bluejay first baseman. Boan hit a home run, scoring Farnham to give OU a 13-8 lead.
Ottawa scored four more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Boan connected on his third home run of the game, tying the school record for home runs in a season (23), and Ottawa led 14-8.
Nicholas Sizemore singled to right, bringing in
Brad Grant as a courtesy runner.
Connor Jeffers singled to left, moving Grant to second. Zozaya then doubled, scoring Grant to push the Brave lead to 15-8.
Zachary Spradlin followed that with a double of his own, scoring Johnson and Zozaya to give Ottawa the lead and the game, 17-8.
Inside the Box Score
- Ottawa finished the game with 21 hits.
- Holland Boan and Nicholas Sizemore had four hits apiece.
- Boan went 4-for-5 at the plate with five RBI, three runs scored, and three home runs.
- Jonah Weisner had hit three home runs.
- Stephen Norrell earned his eighth victory of the season, striking out nine.
Game Two
Tabor took the early lead in the top of the first with two solo home runs. The Braves answered in the bottom of the first.
Tyler Farnham walked.
Holland Boan hit his 24
th home run of the season, tying the game at 2-2 and setting a new OU single season record. Tabor retook the lead in the top of the second with two runs, 4-2. Ottawa cut in the lead in the bottom of the second.
With two outs,
Zachary Spradlin and
Jonah Weisner walked.
Tyler Farnham singled to right center, scoring Spradlin to cut the deficit to 4-3.
In the bottom of the third, Ottawa tied the game.
Connor Jeffers walked and both
Carson Johnson and
Gabe Eckstaine were hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Bluejay pitcher threw a wild pitch, scoring Jeffers to tie the game, 4-4.
After a scoreless fourth, Ottawa took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth.
Nicholas Sizemore singled to center and
Brad Grant came in as a courtesy runner. Johnson reached first on catcher's interference, moving Grant to second. Eckstaine's fly out to center moved both Grant and Johnson into scoring position.
Logan Zozaya doubled to left, scoring both Grant and Johnson to give Ottawa a 6-4 lead.
Jonah Weisner increased the OU lead with his fourth home run of the day, his first of game two, scoring Zozaya to give OU an 8-4 lead.
Ottawa increased its lead over the Bluejays in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back home runs by Boan and Jeffers, giving OU a 10-4 lead. Boan's home run was his fifth of the day, second in game two. OU held Tabor scoreless for the fifth straight inning in the top of the seventh, taking the 10-4 victory.
Inside the Box Score
- Holland Boan went 2-for-3 at the plate, driving in three runs and scoring two. He was also intentionally walked once.
- Tyler Bryant earned win no. 9 on the season with the complete game victory. He struck out 11 and only allowed five hits.
Who is Next
Ottawa (37-5, 25-3) returns to the diamond on Saturday, April 23 to finish its three game series with no. 22 Tabor College at Alumni Park. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.