Baseball 2/4/2018 11:11:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Drops Third Straight in Texas

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The University of Central Oklahoma baseball team fell behind big early on Sunday and couldn't finish a wild, late rally as the Bronchos lost a 10-8 contest with Southern Arkansas in the final game of the Air Hogs Division II Classic. The Bronchos dropped to 1-3 on the young season with the loss.

"We just put ourselves into too bad a spot," UCO head baseball coach John Martin said. "Asking these guys to comeback from such a big deficit is too much. We have to be able to start better than we did today."

UCO was down 10-1 after two innings before holding the Muleriders scoreless the rest of the way.

Kyle Miskovsky, batting leadoff Sunday, slapped a single right through the middle of the Southern Arkansas lineup in the game's first at bat. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third, and then walked home when the umpire called a balk on the SAU pitcher. That gave UCO a 1-0 lead and a bit of hope to start its fourth game in Grand Prairie. That soon went away with the bottom half of the inning.

Ryan McCollough made his Broncho debut Sunday night. It's one the senior from Broken Arrow would like to soon forget. McCollough hit a batter on the first pitch he threw. He exited the first giving up two runs, one on a wild pitch. He was chased from the game after just 1 1/3 innings pitched and UCO suddenly trailing 4-1.

Landon Bond replaced McCollough, but he failed to record and out. Gaylon Viney then came on to pitch for the Bronchos with UCO trailing 9-1. Viney got the Bronchos out of the inning with the score 10-1.

Viney had a solid outing, striking out three over the next 3 2/3 to stop the bleeding for the Bronchos.

UCO added three runs in the top of the sixth. Martin began giving his bench players some time on the field, and it paid off.

Cole Sanderson led off and reached on an error. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, and later scored on a wild pitch.

Trae Smith had previously drawn a walk, and Jake Dyer singled a 2-0 pitch to center. They both scored in the inning – Smith on an Anthony Alvarez groundout, and Dyer on a Bryant Klusener single through the left side to make it 10-4.

Smith knocked an RBI single in the top of the seventh to make it 10-6 after Xavier Freeman roped an RBI single himself to score Glenn Reeves.

Viney, Drake Harper, and Connor Sweeney did the job on defense, holding Southern Arkansas to just one hit over the next six innings. The UCO trio sat down 11 consecutive SAU batters during that stretch. Sweeney ended Southern Arkansas' time at the plate striking out the final three batters in the bottom of the eighth.

UCO made a game of it after a rough start. Sanderson led off the ninth with a double, and after a single by Freeman, and a walk to Smith, and pinch-hitter Paul Kropf, Sanderson scored home to make it 10-7. Freeman scored on a sacrifice-fly by Alvarez.

UCO's comeback effort came to a screeching halt though in the top of the ninth. With the tying run on first base, Klusener lined out to second base for the final out of the game.

Central Oklahoma will get Monday off before hosting Oklahoma Baptist at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the newly renovated Wendell Simmons Field.

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Players Mentioned

#16 Anthony Alvarez: 3B; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#4 Jake Dyer: IF/OF; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#17 Drake Harper: P; 6' 4"; Senior; */R

#5 Kyle Miskovsky: 2B; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#27 Glenn Reeves: IF; 5' 10"; Senior; L/R

#28 Cole Sanderson: C; 5' 8"; Senior; R/R

#15 Connor Sweeney: P; 6' 1"; Senior; */R

#13 Gaylon Viney: P; 6' 3"; Senior; */R

#33 Ryan McCollough: P; 6' 3"; Senior; */R

#41 Landon Bond: P; 6' 1"; Junior; */L

Players Mentioned

#16 Anthony Alvarez
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: 3B

#4 Jake Dyer
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: IF/OF

#17 Drake Harper
: 6' 4"; Senior; */R
: P

#5 Kyle Miskovsky
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: 2B

#27 Glenn Reeves
: 5' 10"; Senior; L/R
: IF

#28 Cole Sanderson
: 5' 8"; Senior; R/R
: C

#15 Connor Sweeney
: 6' 1"; Senior; */R
: P

#13 Gaylon Viney
: 6' 3"; Senior; */R
: P

#33 Ryan McCollough
: 6' 3"; Senior; */R
: P

#41 Landon Bond
: 6' 1"; Junior; */L
: P