Drovers Take Two in Texas

PLAINVIEW, Texas – Pitchers Matt Mallory and Nate Hammons turned the tide in the series allowing only eight hits and two runs between them as USAO won the final two games of the weekend series at Wayland Baptist 11-2 and 11-0 to improve to 17-17-1 overall and 4-5 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

Sophomore Nate Hammons got the ship righted in game two Saturday. After USAO fell 12-0 in game one, the Fort Cobb native got the start and held WBU in check allowing only two runs off four hits and fanning 12 batters.

His dozen strikeouts broke his previous career-high of nine against Kansas Wesleyan. Hammons’ 12 Ks is believed to be the most by a Drover pitcher in several years, but Mallory bested that number by striking out 13 batters in Sunday’s nine-inning game, which ended by run-rule after seven innings.

Hammons struck out four batters in the first two innings, but WBU’s Jonathan Reynoso hit a two-run homer off him in the third to give the home team a 2-0 lead. USAO immediately answered in the fourth as Ryan Birney and Cody Howard scored on a fielding error, and Louie Romero doubled in Dalton House for the go-ahead score.

The Drovers poured it on from that point scoring two more in the fifth, one run in the sixth and five runs in the seventh to close the door. Hammons went the distance and improved to 5-1 on the season.

In the Sunday finale, Mallory had his finest collegiate performance setting career bests with four hits allowed, no runs allowed, one walk and 13 strikeouts for his third complete game of the season. The senior from Grand Junction, Colo., only allowed one hit through the first five innings while striking out eight batters in the first three innings.

The USAO offense jumped out to a great start scoring four runs in the first inning thanks to a three-run homer by Adam Crosbie and a solo shot by Cody Hines. Ryan Birney hit a two-run home run to right field in the third that scored Howard and Hines and gave USAO a 7-0 lead.

In the fourth, Howard hit a two-run double to center field that scored Crosbie and Joel Atchley, and Birney singled home Crosbie in the sixth to give USAO an 11-0 lead. Mallory improved to 3-2 on the season.

The Showdown

With the series win over WBU, USAO sets up a showdown like the program has never had in the SAC Thursday and Friday against No. 18 Lubbock Christian. Action both days is scheduled for 1 p.m.

While the Drovers look like they are in the middle of the pack, the team has won the head-to-head matchups over two of the four teams ahead of them in the standings.

After this week’s series with LCU, USAO will have Oklahoma Baptist, St. Gregory’s and Northwestern Oklahoma remaining on the schedule. Those three teams have a combined 24-46 record and only two conference wins. OBU’s 19-15 record is far and away the best of those three teams. Conversely, LCU still has to face the top five teams in the SAC.

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