OTTAWA, Kan. — A crooked-number middle inning and a clutch swing from
Jeremy Freeman, Jr. lifted the (20) Ottawa University Braves to an 11-6 victory over Tabor College on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.
Ottawa wasted no time jumping in front and then broke the game open with a five-run fourth and a four-run fifth, highlighted by Freeman's three-run home run that put the contest out of reach.
The Braves struck first in the opening inning as
Julius Ryan and
Dane Lujan delivered back-to-back RBI singles for a 2-0 lead. After Tabor battled back to tie the game at 2-2 through four innings, Ottawa responded with its biggest inning of the day.
In the fourth, aggressive base running and timely hitting sparked the Braves.
Garrett Dodd stole home,
Jose Lopez added another run, and
Julius Ryan capped the inning with a two-RBI single as Ottawa surged ahead 7-2.
The Braves kept their foot on the gas in the fifth. A sacrifice fly by
Jalen Ryan made it 8-2 before Freeman crushed a three-run homer to left, extending the lead to 11-2.
Tabor chipped away late, scoring runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, but Ottawa's bullpen held firm to secure the win.
Kenneth Johnson gave Ottawa a solid start, allowing two runs over four innings, while
Nicolas Docherty picked up the win in relief.
Stats Recap
- Jeremy Freeman: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 3 runs scored
- Julius Ryan: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 1 run, 2 SB
- Dane Lujan: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
- Jalen Ryan: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 runs, SB
- Garrett Dodd: 1-for-3, 2 runs, 2 SB (including steal of home)
- Jose Lopez: 1-for-3, 2 runs, 2 SB
On the mound:
Who is Next
Ottawa (24-5, 15-4) returns to the diamond on Friday, March 20 to start a three-game series with non-conference opponent Reinhardt University in
Waleska, Ga. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
