Point Lookout, MO - College of the Ozarks used a dominant pitching performance and a timely fifth-inning run to edge Morningside University 1-0 in a seven-inning contest Saturday afternoon at Bob Smith Field.

Right-hander Cameron Jennings led the way for the Bobcats, tossing a complete-game shutout to secure the victory. Jennings worked all 7.0 innings, limiting Morningside to just two hits while striking out three on 91 pitches. He worked around traffic at times but consistently delivered in key moments, stranding five base runners and preventing Morningside from breaking through.

The game’s only run came in the bottom of the fifth, when College of the Ozarks finally pushed across a run against the Morningside bullpen. With the bases loaded, Chase Robertson was hit by a pitch, forcing home Landon Jines for the 1-0 lead. Jines played a key role in the low-scoring battle, reaching base twice and scoring the decisive run. He finished the afternoon with one hit, one hit-by-pitch, and a .667 on-base percentage.

Offensively, both teams struggled to build sustained rallies. The Bobcats totaled four hits, two walks, and two hit batters but left six runners on base. Morningside managed just two hits and three walks while striking out three times against Jennings. College of the Ozarks committed one early error defensively but quickly settled in behind its starter, while Morningside played error-free baseball.

Morningside split pitching duties, with starter Tiago Sanchez turning in 4.0 strong innings. Sanchez allowed two hits, struck out five, and walked one before handing the ball to the bullpen in a scoreless game. Reliever Rhys Fairweath took the loss after allowing the fifth-inning run, as the Bobcats capitalized on the pressure situation to manufacture the game’s only tally.

Extra-base hits were limited throughout the game. Morningside’s Kade Yasui delivered the visitors’ biggest swing with a double in two at-bats, but the hit did not lead to a run as Jennings and the Bobcats defense continued to escape trouble. College of the Ozarks relied on timely baserunning and plate discipline rather than power to break through.

With the win, College of the Ozarks made the most of the seven-inning format in front of a nice home crowd, showing early-season poise in a tightly contested, pitching-driven game. Jennings’ complete-game shutout, along with the fifth-inning execution by Jines and Robertson, highlighted a winning formula of efficient pitching, steady defense, and just enough offense to secure the home victory.