PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team utilized late-inning heroics twice Friday (Apr. 17) to sweep a doubleheader from the University of Central Oklahoma at Al Ortolani Field. The Gorillas defeated the Bronchos, 3-2 and 11-10, on Senior Day.
In game one, UCO's Daulton Leiker came an out away from registering a no-hitter against Pitt State. He faced the minimum 20 batters – inducing a double play to erase a third-inning walk – before running into trouble with two outs in the seventh, and final, inning of the game.
Leading 2-0, Leiker (2-4) issued back-to-back walks to Luke Bordewick and Nate Arnold. Andrew Vogelbaugh, who belted three home runs in a twinbill against the Bronchos Thursday, then drove a 2-1 breaking ball over the left field fence for a 3-2 Gorillas walk off victory.
In game two, UCO built a 9-5 lead after six innings and turned the ball over to its closer Tyler Farrell with one out in the seventh.
Vogelbaugh delivered another home run – a two-run shot off Farrell in the seventh – to trim the margin to 9-7. The Bronchos countered with an insurance run for a 10-7 lead on Jake O'Brien's solo home run in the top of the eight.
The Gorillas countered in their half of the eighth. Sam Falcon delivered a one-out triple and, after Andrew Kreiling was hit by pitch, Derek Hackney singled through the right side of the infield to bring in Falcon. Bordewick followed with a two-run triple to tie the score at 10-10 and Arnold singled him home with the go-ahead run.
Ryan McKay retired the Bronchos in order in the ninth to log his seventh save of the season. He made a winner of Dylan Donley (2-1), who allowed one run in 2.0 innings of relief work.
Kreiling went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI in the game, while Falcon went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
The wins helped Pitt State improve to 16-25 overall and 11-17 in MIAA play. UCU dropped to 18-23 ovrall and 13-18 in the MIAA.
