BASEBALL LOSES TWO TO OKWU

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Avila baseball faced tough competition on Saturday at The Z, going up against the top team in the KCAC. The home Eagles put up a fight, but lost both games of the doubleheader, 10-4 and 9-5.

OKWU opened the scoring with a home run in the top of the third in game number one.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom half of the inning, Ricky Dober stepped to the plate with two runners on looking to change the trajectory of the game.

The junior from Palm City, Fla., smashed a ball over the centerfield wall, when OKWU's centerfielder, Ravaughn Morgan made one of plays of the year, getting his glove over the wall and robbing Dober's potential home run and Avila's best scoring opportunity of the day.

The next half inning, Avila's Robby Cable matched Vaughn's web gem, robbing a possible OKWU two-run shot to end the fourth inning.

Oklahoma Wesleyan used a six-run ninth inning to put the game away and hand Avila a 10-4 loss in the first game.

In game number two, OKWU put up three in the third and fourth, while adding two more in the fifth.

A Tyler King RBI single in the second was all the offense Avila would have until their final at-bats.

Trailing 9-1 with three outs remaining, Avila put up four in the seventh and were looking for more.

Starting the inning with the first eight batters reaching base around a Will Clark fielder's choice, Avila had the bases loaded with one out and the tying run at the plate.

OKWU got out of the jam with a strikeout and a popup to end the Avila threat and leave Kansas City with a 9-5 victory. 

Avila will hit the road for four games away from home this week, starting with a single game at York on Tuesday afternoon before heading to Wichita for three against Friends beginning on Friday.

 (photo credit: Albert Guerrero)