Baseball | 2/18/2018 8:37:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Goodwell, Okla.—The Aggies faced Mid-America Christian this weekend in their first Sooner Athletic Conference series and took a win on one of three contests against MACU. The Aggies split with the Evangels on Friday's double header (11-2; 3-2) and the Evangels left Sunday with a game three victory (14-7).

The teams were met with frigid temperatures as they took the field Friday morning in the 30-degree chill and strong 20 mph winds. Despite the cold weather, MACU began game one hot with two RBI's while the Aggies went three-up three-down in the bottom of the first. The Evangels added another run in the second with an RBI single to left field, while the Aggies remained quiet. The third would see some action for OPSU, beginning with a double from sophomore catcher Gerson Padilla, who was replaced on the field by Jordan Smith as a pinch runner. An RBI single from senior Nate Kelly would bring Smith home and get the Aggies on the board. MACU would see more hot hitting in the fifth and sixth innings as they brought in seven runs off six hits, bringing the score 10-1, pulling far and away from the Aggies. The Aggies would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI double from first basemen Jared Mayeda, but MACU would tack on another in the top of the seventh off a hard hit single down the left field line, bringing the final score 11-2 in favor of the Evangels. Senior Adrian Lopez would take the loss for the Aggies, with MACU's Keisy Portorreal taking home the win along with a save from Gustavo Escobar.

The Aggies took to the field ready and determined for game two, despite the weather dipping to a frosty 26 degrees. The first inning saw quick action as the Evangels stranded two runners while the Aggies plated two runs off three hits to start the game. Nate Kelly began the first with a hit to left and advanced to third on an error by the MACU third baseman. Junior Juan Sanchez added an RBI groundout and freshman catcher Luis Rodriguez topped it off with a two-run single overtop center field. MACU brought in an unearned run in the top of the third to bring the score 1-3, Aggies. The bats remained silent with no hits by either team through the fourth and fifth innings, but MACU would bring in a run off an RBI single in the sixth. Game two would end 3-2 in favor of the Aggies, with Corey Ley taking home the hard-earned win through six innings pitched, keeping the Evangels at only 7 hits on their 28 at bats, and Cesar Gomez coming away with the save.

The two teams met for game three of the series on Saturday under some beautiful weather at Aggie Field. The teams wasted no time getting off to a combative start in the first. MACU began with plating two runs off an RBI single and a fielding error by OPSU, but the Aggies were quick to answer back with an RBI double from Sanchez and a two-RBI vaulted single to left center from Mayeda. The second inning saw three runs each from both the Aggies and the Evangels, including RBI's from Sanchez and Padilla, and a 3-RBI homer from MACU's Gipson. The third also saw equal action from both teams, each bringing in one run apiece to bring the score to 6-7, Aggies. After an active three innings, freshman Garrison Armstrong proceeded to the mound to relieve fellow freshman Blake Tucker. The top of the fifth would continue to prove opportune for the Evangels, as they brought in four runs off a single, two doubles and sac fly-out. Blake Tucker would not recover and sophomore Charles Marini took the mound for the Aggies. Both teams went scoreless through the sixth; though Marini gave up no hits, the Aggies would make another pitching change, sending freshman Colby Fuller in for Marini, though MACU would add a run off an RBI single off the newcomer to the mound, pulling away from the Aggies with a 12-7 lead. Junior Cesar Gomez came in at relief while the teams battled through the eighth and ninth, where the Evangels would add an RBI single and a sac-fly RBI to close the score 14-7. Seth Keith and Jairo Aparicio would take the win and the save, respectively, for the Evangels, while Tucker came away with the loss for the Aggies.

The Aggies came away from the weekend holding a 5-9 record on the season and will hit the road for four games over two contests next week. A single, nine inning game will pit the Aggies against Eastern New Mexico in Portales, New Mexico on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and three- game series in Plainview, Texas against Wayland Baptist will cap off the week with a double header on Friday, Feb. 23 and a single nine-inning game on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Aggies return home for a three-game series against Bacone with a double header on Friday, March 1 beginning at 12 p.m. and a single nine-inning matchup on Saturday, March 2 at 12 p.m.