College of the Ozarks Rallies From Five-Run Hole to Top Evangel 8–5

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — College of the Ozarks erased an early five-run deficit and used a three-run seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run pinch-hit single from Cole Hilton, to defeat Evangel (Mo.) 8–5 on Tuesday afternoon at University Field.

The Bobcats trailed 5–0 after two innings as Evangel jumped on top with four runs in the first and another in the second. College of the Ozarks steadied the game from there, holding Evangel scoreless over the final five frames while the offense chipped away, eventually pulling even in the fourth before delivering the decisive blow in the seventh.

Evangel’s early surge was fueled by traffic on the bases and opportunistic situational hitting. A sacrifice groundout by Cade Beshore drove in Evan Jno‑Baptiste for the first run, and Quentin Edwards then stole home during the same first-inning sequence. Later in the inning, Cole Leonhart doubled to left-center to cap a four-run frame. In the second, Kannon Perry drew a bases-loaded walk to force in another run and extend the Crusaders’ lead to 5–0.

College of the Ozarks began its comeback in the second when Alex Nimmo doubled to center to score George Reynolds for the Bobcats’ first run. One inning later, Brody Tyler provided the game’s biggest swing, launching a three-run home run to left field to pull College of the Ozarks within 5–4. In the fourth, Landon Jines singled to right-center to bring home the tying run on an unearned RBI, knotting the score at 5–5 and shifting the momentum.

After both offenses were held in check in the middle innings, the Bobcats broke through in the seventh. College of the Ozarks pushed across three runs in the frame, with Hilton coming off the bench to deliver a two-run single as part of the rally that turned a tie game into an 8–5 lead. The Bobcats’ pitching staff and defense then closed the door, completing five straight scoreless innings to finish off the comeback.

College of the Ozarks finished with 12 hits and did not commit an error, stranding eight runners. Evangel totaled nine hits with one error and left seven on base. Tyler’s lone hit was the three-run homer, while Jines added two hits and an RBI. Hilton made his one at-bat count with his two-run single in the seventh. Reynolds sparked the offense from the top of the order, reaching base multiple times and scoring twice. For Evangel, Jno‑Baptiste went 3-for-3, scored two runs and was hit by a pitch to pace the Crusaders’ attack.

Bobcats’ Late Rally Comes Up Short in 10-9 Loss at Evangel

A furious midgame rally by College of the Ozarks fell just short Tuesday afternoon, as the Bobcats dropped a 10-9 decision to Evangel (Mo.) at University Field in Springfield, Mo. The decisive run scored in the bottom of the fifth, when an errant throw allowed the go-ahead run to cross and stand as the difference in a back-and-forth contest.

Tied 9-9 after erasing a four-run deficit, the Bobcats appeared to be back in control of the momentum before Evangel manufactured the winning run without the benefit of a hit. With one out in the fifth, Justus Cherrico reached and later came around to score when Heath Perry reached on a throwing error, bringing in the unearned run that pushed Evangel in front 10-9. Neither side scored over the final two innings, despite College of the Ozarks putting pressure on Evangel’s pitching staff throughout the game.

The Bobcats’ offense was relentless in the middle innings, turning a slow start into a surge that twice erased Evangel leads. After falling behind 5-0 through three innings, College of the Ozarks erupted for five runs in the top of the fourth to pull even. Drew Hayward ignited the frame with a run-scoring double to left-center, one of two doubles on the day for the Bobcats’ infielder, as the lineup strung together quality at-bats and capitalized on traffic on the bases.

Evangel responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth, reclaiming control with a four-run inning highlighted by a two-run home run from Perry to make it 9-5. College of the Ozarks answered again in the fifth, pushing across four runs to tie the game 9-9 and continue the seesaw momentum. The Bobcats finished with nine runs on nine hits, including four doubles, and left seven runners on base while putting constant pressure on Evangel’s pitching over the final four innings.

Individually, the heart of the Bobcats’ order delivered standout performances. Aaron Fisher led the attack, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBIs and a run scored as he consistently came through in run-producing situations. Hayward added a 2-for-3 day with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored, while Landon Jines contributed one hit, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk to help fuel the comeback efforts. College of the Ozarks showed balance up and down the lineup, drawing four walks and being hit by three pitches to extend innings and set up big swings.

Evangel made the most of its seven hits, using power and patience to build early separation. Evan Jno-Baptiste delivered the initial blow in the first inning with a three-run home run to left-center that staked Evangel to a 3-0 lead. Perry added his two-run shot in the fourth as Evangel ultimately finished with three home runs, 10 runs and four walks/HBPs combined, taking advantage of extra baserunners and three Bobcat errors.

Despite the one-run setback, the Bobcats’ ability to answer multiple Evangel rallies and generate nine runs on the road provided positives to build on moving forward. College of the Ozarks matched a powerful Evangel lineup punch for punch for much of the afternoon, and the middle-of-the-order production from Fisher, Hayward and Jines offered a strong offensive foundation as the Bobcats move deeper into the spring schedule.

The Bobcats now jump back into Sooner Athletic Conference action as they head to Plainview, Texas to Face the Pioneers of Wayland Baptist in a weekend series.