May 2, 2008
Assured of nothing without a win, Oklahoma Baptist advanced to the NAIA Region VI Tournament with a win over Wayland Baptist University, 17-3, in Plainview, Texas, Friday.
The Bison advance as a Sooner Athletic Conference finalist after beating Wayland Baptist.
Chase Jestice (5-2) got his second win in as many games to seal the deal. Jestice, who pitched 1.1 innings in Thursday's 16-15 win over USAO, tossed a complete game Friday, holding the Pioneers to three runs (two earned) and fanned 10.
Jestice got all the support he needed in OBU's five-run first inning.
Chris Chambers got the scoring rolling with an RBI fielders choice, followed by an RBI single by Frank Avilla. Three more runs scored on errors.
Chambers singled home a run in the second for a 6-0 lead. The Pioneers made it 6-2 in the bottom of the second and that score held until the fifth when Christian Ruiz and Josh Kirkpatrick both swatted two-run home runs for a 10-2 lead.
WBU got its final run in the fifth.
The Bison added five more in the sixth on a two-run double by Mason Reilly, a two-run home run by Avilla and an RBI single by Billy Thomas.
Ruiz added a two-run double in the seventh.
Chambers and Ruiz had three hits each in OBU's 17-hit attack, with Thomas, Kyle Cooper, Josh Collazo, Reilly and Avilla coming up with two each.
The win put the Bison in the finals against Lubbock Christian late Friday night. Lubbock Christian helped the OBU cause by eliminating Oklahoma City in the first game Thursday. The OBU appearance in the SAC finals likely ends the season for at-large hopefuls Rogers State and Bacone.
The regional begins Tuesday at Oklahoma City University.