Point Lookout, MO - College of the Ozarks scored the decisive run in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday night, slipping past Arlington Baptist 5-4 on a walk-off play at Bob Smith Field in Point Lookout, Missouri. With the game tied 4-4, Brody Baumann reached on a first-base error and Aaron Fisher came home with the winning run, delivering the key moment in a game that turned late after Arlington Baptist erased a three-run deficit.

The Bobcats answered an early 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first. After JP Mendoza’s sacrifice fly gave Arlington Baptist the lead in the top half, Chase Robertson drove in Ty Rush with an RBI single to even the score at 1-1. College of the Ozarks moved in front for good, at least temporarily, in the third when Baumann doubled to left-center and brought home two runs for a 3-1 advantage. The Bobcats added another run in the fourth to build a 4-1 lead.

Arlington Baptist chipped away in the fifth and sixth innings. Nathan Duvall tripled to center to drive in Kevin Rios in the fifth, and Mendoza followed with another sacrifice fly to cut the margin to 4-3. In the sixth, Joseph Galindo doubled down the left-field line to score Vince Nandin and tie the game. Arlington Baptist finished with eight hits, six walks and 10 runners left on base, while College of the Ozarks also had eight hits and made the most of its chances, leaving five on base and swiping four bases.

Ty Rush helped pace the Bobcats offensively, going for two hits, two runs scored, one RBI and two stolen bases. Baumann supplied the biggest swing earlier in the night with his two-run double, then was at the center of the final sequence in the seventh. College of the Ozarks got enough production throughout the lineup to withstand a strong outing from Arlington Baptist starter Corbyn Torti, who struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings and threw 134 pitches in the loss.

Jayden Carpenter closed it out for the Bobcats and earned the win in relief. Carpenter worked 1 1/3 innings, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out three. Both teams recorded nine strikeouts, but the Bobcats paired timely hitting with cleaner defense, committing one error to Arlington Baptist’s three, and that last miscue proved decisive in a 5-4 finish.

The Bobcats return to action on Thursday at 1:00 at Ozark Mountain Sports Comple in Ozark, Missouri. The Bobcats will face off against Randall university as they look to advance in the Central Regional Tournament.