Drovers Finish .500

CHICKASHA – Senior day at Bill Smith Ballpark produced two pitching gems, but USAO only managed a split against Northwestern Oklahoma Saturday as the Drovers finished the 2007 season with a 23-23-1 record.

The league’s fourth place team, the University of Science and Arts now awaits the conference tournament and the host team, Southern Nazarene. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bethany.

Saturday, Tuttle senior Justin Ferguson exited the game with a 2-1 lead after 6 1/3 innings on the mound where he allowed only four hits while setting a new career high with seven strikeouts. Senior pitcher Matt Mallory came in and gave up three hits and two runs as NWOSU rallied for a 4-2 win.

Mallory got the start in game two and allowed only five hits and two earned runs while striking out four batters as USAO won 4-2. The Drovers needed three runs in the bottom of the sixth to avoid the sweep.

USAO came into the weekend series needing a three-game sweep of NWOSU (12-24, 7-14) to clinch third place in the Sooner Athletic Conference ahead of SNU. NWOSU took game one Friday afternoon at Enid 11-1 to end the Drovers dream of its highest finish in SAC history.

With the game-three win and an OBU loss to St. Gregory’s, USAO secured fourth place – still it’s best finish since leaving the Red River Athletic Conference to rejoin the SAC.

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