OCU Sports
Josh Ellis, Assistant Sports Information Director
SALINA, Kan. – Oklahoma City University earned a pair of wins Tuesday afternoon at Dean Evans Stadium, defeating Kansas Wesleyan 11-1 and Bethany (Kan.) 8-2 to extend its winning streak to nine games.
Branden Grieger, a senior from Simi Valley, Calif., led the Stars with career-high four hits against Kansas Wesleyan and added another against Bethany. OCU (26-5), ranked No. 10 in NAIA baseball, had four different players end Tuesday’s two-game slate with at least five total hits.
The Stars scored in every inning against Kansas Wesleyan, beginning in the top of the first with a RBI single from Lane Milligan. Milligan, a senior from Binger, Okla., notched three hits and three RBIs against the Coyotes, then followed the performance with two hits against Bethany.
Oklahoma City increased its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third when Shaun Corso’s sacrifice fly drove in Elliott Cary. Corso earned another RBI in the sixth inning to give the Stars an 8-0 lead, then Daniel Costello singled up the middle to bring in OCU’s ninth run of the game. Corso and Costello each finished with three hits against Kansas Wesleyan.
Ricky Parra, a senior from Bronx, N.Y., collected his first win of the season against the Coyotes after throwing four shutout innings and hurling three strikeouts. Hunter Aguirre, Craig Knoche and Garrett Pike combined to pitch the final four innings for OCU, allowing four hits and one run.
Garrett Foster got the Stars on the board first against Bethany, blasting a RBI single through the left side that drove home Joe Lytle in the top of the first inning. Foster, a senior from Ardmore, Okla., had two hits against Kansas Wesleyan and added three more against Bethany. Lytle ended the day with three total hits, including two against Bethany.
Aguirre hit a double to left field in the third to push OCU’s lead to 4-0. Corso followed in the fifth inning with a solo homerun that gave the Stars a 5-0 advantage, then Aguirre capped a three-run seventh inning that put Oklahoma City ahead 8-1. Aguirre, a senior from Oklahoma City, produced three hits and two RBIs against the Swedes.
Bryce Milligan, a sophomore from Blanchard, Okla., pitched five innings and threw eight strikeouts to improve to 5-0 on the mound this season. Tanner Andrews, Miguel Figueroa and Tyler Milligan split the final four innings in relief and combined for five strikeouts and one run allowed.
Oklahoma City plays next at 2 p.m. Thursday against Randall in Moore, Okla.