OTTAWA, Kan. - Ottawa used a pair of late offensive pushes and strong bullpen work to sweep Friday's doubleheader from Friends University at Alumni Park, taking game one, 4-1, and game two, 3-1.
Game 1 – Ottawa 4, Friends 1
Ottawa broke open a tight pitchers' duel with a three-run eighth inning to rally past Friends, 4-1, in the opener.
Friends manufactured the game's first run in the second inning without a hit. H. Sabor reached on an error, moved up on a hit-by-pitch and stolen base, and came home on a throwing error by the catcher for a 1-0 lead.
Ottawa was held in check through six innings by R. Clark, who allowed just one run on three hits into the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh,
Jeremy Freeman, Jr. tripled to right and scored on
Jose Lopez's sacrifice fly to center, tying the game at 1-1.
The Braves seized control in the eighth.
Jalen Ryan was hit by a pitch to start the frame, and
Dylan Snead followed with an RBI double to put Ottawa ahead 2-1. Freeman then singled and advanced to second on an error, bringing Snead home.
Julius Ryan capped the rally with an RBI single up the middle, extending the lead to 4-1.
Ben Hewitt shut the door with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out five of the six batters he faced to secure the win.
Game 1 Notes
- Ottawa scored four runs on six hits and committed two errors.
- Friends was limited to one hit and struck out 10 times.
- Jeremy Freeman, Jr.: 2-for-4, triple, RBI, two runs scored.
- Dylan Snead: 1-for-4, double, RBI.
- Julius Ryan: 1-for-2, RBI.
- Grant Faris: 6.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run (0 earned), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts.
- Ben Hewitt (W): 2.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 5 strikeouts.
Game 2 – Ottawa 3, Friends 1
Ottawa struck early and relied on timely pitching to complete the sweep with a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
The Braves opened the scoring in the first inning.
Jalen Ryan reached and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. After a single by
Jeremy Freeman, Jr.,
Julius Ryan executed a sacrifice bunt that brought home
Jalen Ryan for a 1-0 lead.
Ottawa added an unearned run in the second.
Jesus Rodriguez reached on an error and later scored on
Branden Franz's sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
Friends answered in the fifth. H. Sharp doubled and eventually scored when E. Morales reached on an error, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
Ottawa provided insurance in the sixth when Rodriguez launched a solo home run to left field, extending the lead to 3-1.
The Braves' bullpen handled the rest.
Adrian Quintana worked a scoreless seventh to earn the save, stranding the tying run on base.
Game 2 Notes
Who is Next
Ottawa (9-1, 2-0) finishes its series with Friends University on Sunday, February 15 at Alumni Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
