C of O vs Central Baptist College: Game 1

College of the Ozarks used a decisive early outburst to earn a doubleheader split with Central Baptist (Ark.) on Tuesday at Bob Smith Field, bouncing back for a 7-2 win in Game 2 after dropping a 2-1 pitchers’ duel in the opener.

In the nightcap, the Bobcats’ offense set the tone with runs in each of the first three innings, including a five-run third that effectively put the game out of reach. College of the Ozarks led 1-0 after an RBI single by Craig Busse in the first inning, then doubled the advantage in the second when Ty Rush singled to left to score Chandler Eubanks. The Bobcats broke the game open in the third, stringing together quality at-bats and capitalizing on a Central Baptist miscue to build a 7-0 cushion.

Eubanks started the big third inning with an RBI single, and another run scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0. Aaron Fisher followed with a two-run single, and Rush capped the frame with another RBI single as College of the Ozarks sent multiple hitters to the plate and seized full control. Rush finished Game 2 with two hits and two RBI, while Fisher added two RBI and Brody Tyler collected two hits and a run scored as part of the Bobcats’ 10-hit, seven-walk attack.

On the mound, starter Carder Riley earned the win by keeping Central Baptist in check through the middle innings. Riley worked 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out five. Central Baptist did not break through until the fourth, when Preston White led off with a home run to left. The visitors added a second run in the sixth with Garrett Fitts crossing the plate, but Bobcats pitching and defense held firm, allowing just four hits and one unearned run while striking out six in the 7-2 victory.

C of O vs Central Baptist College: GAME 2

The Bobcats’ Game 2 performance answered a tough loss in the opener, where a late Central Baptist rally turned a narrow College of the Ozarks lead into a 2-1 setback. In Game 1, Bobcats starter Chandler Eubanks was sharp, scattering five hits over 5.2 innings with only two earned runs allowed and one strikeout. He worked scoreless baseball through five innings and was backed by error-free defense as College of the Ozarks limited Central Baptist to five hits and two walks over the seven-inning contest.

Offensively, the Bobcats broke through first in Game 1. In the fourth inning, Lance Strahan delivered a key single to left, driving in the game’s first run to give College of the Ozarks a 1-0 lead. Despite producing five hits and drawing six walks, the Bobcats stranded 10 runners and were unable to extend the margin. That opened the door in the sixth, when Central Baptist’s Josh Lumsden came through with a two-run single to left, flipping the score to 2-1. College of the Ozarks was retired in its final at-bats and could not mount a final answer.

Across the twinbill, the Bobcats outscored Central Baptist 8-4, outhit the visitors 15-9 and played steady defense with just one error on the day. Eubanks contributed both on the mound in Game 1 and at the plate in Game 2, while Rush and Fisher powered the offense in the nightcap and Riley anchored the pitching staff. The split sends College of the Ozarks into its upcoming contests with momentum from the convincing Game 2 win and positive signs on both sides of the ball.

The Bobcats now head to Oklahoma City for a weekend series at Mid-America Christian University.