Pride fall in both ends of 2024 season-opening doubleheader

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - In a new-look season for the Clarke University baseball team, the exact same opposing team in Oklahoma City University to begin their season for the second-straight year earned a pair of wins over the Pride on Friday afternoon.

The Stars earned wins in both seven inning games by scoring 10 runs in each starting with a 10-1 win in the opener and a 10-3 win in game two where the Pride led 3-2 from the third inning into the sixth where OCU scored eight runs as the inning was capped off by a Trent Kirily grand slam.

That sixth inning spoiled a solid start for right-hander Ryan Blondell as he got through five innings only allowing two first inning runs and five hits with a pair of strikeouts but his line would finish with seven runs on nine hits and three walks over the five-plus innings of work.

Big innings against were the theme of the day for CU as Oklahoma City would score three or more runs in the three different innings in game one to earn their 10-1 win with the only Clarke run coming from a Kevin Javier solo home run in the fifth inning.

OCU's game one starting pitcher, Jacob Burkett, produced a strong six-inning outing to allow only allow the Javier home run and three other hits while striking out five and only walking two batters as Christian Prull was strong out of the bullpen, pitching 1.2 shutout innings without allowing a hit, finishing the game out for the Pride.

Offensively Andrew Swartz, Dean Ormonde, Kieron Crowder, and Tommy Peterson each had multi-hit games between the two games with Swartz going 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in the second game, getting the nod to start in center field.

Clarke baseball will finish up the series against Oklahoma City on Saturday with the first pitch of the finale scheduled for 12:00 p.m CT between the Pride and Stars.