Vikings split with NOC-Tonkawa, beats Arkansas Tech

The Carl Albert State College baseball team split its four-game, two-day series with Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa, then outlasted the Arkansas Tech University Wonder Boys on Monday.

On April 10 in Tonkawa, the Vikings lost both games to the host Mavericks, falling 11-9 in nine innings and 9-4.

However, the Aggies avenged those losses on Saturday at Mark Pollard Park at Ival Goodman Field as they swept the Mavericks by scores of 8-3 and 13-8.

On Monday in Russellville, Ark., the Vikings outlasted the Wonder Boys 15-11.

In the road opener against NOCTonkawa, with the game tied at 8-all after five innings, the Vikings (27-14) scored once in the ninth to take a 9-8 lead, only to see the Mavericks get a walk-off, tworun home run by NOC-Tonkawa’s Caleb Watkins for the win.

In defeat, Brooks Herrera was 5-for-5 with a double, his third home run of the season, three runs batted in and two runs scored, Kip Christian was 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and a run scored, Connor Cox was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, Blake Vandenberg was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Royce Florenzano hit his third homer of the season, a two-run shot in the three-run fifth inning which tied the game at 8-all.

Wyatt Sammons (0-2) suffered the loss in relief, going the final 4.1 innings with three strikeouts. Gage Elliott got the start and went the first four innings with a strikeout.

In the road nightcap against NOCTonkawa, after the Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Mavericks responded with a four-run first inning and a two-run third inning to take the lead for good at 6-1 after three innings.

In defeat, Rayian Torres was 2-for-3, Florenzano and Dominic Ornales each doubled with an RBI and Keypher DeLeon hit his sixth homer of the season with two runs scored for the Vikings.

Blake Lindsey (1-3) took the loss, going the first three innings. Duke Walker went the final three innings with three strikeouts.

In Saturday’s opener, the Vikings took a 5-0 lead after an inning. After the Mavericks cut the deficit to 5-3 after four innings, the Vikings put away the game with a three-run fifth inning for an 8-3 lead.

For the contest, DeLeon was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored, Ornales was 3-for-3 with three doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored and Jett Frazier doubled with three RBIs for CASC.

Tanner Mullins (1-1) got his first win in relief, pitching the most innings as he went three innings with three strikeouts. Chase Stevens got the start and went the first 2.1 innings, then Seth Hubbard went the next 1.2 innings with two strikeouts.

In Saturday’s nightcap, a sixrun eighth inning rallied from the Vikings from an 8-7 deficit to the come-from-behind victory.

For the game, Cox was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Torres was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, Frazier tripled with three RBIs and a run scored and Christian hit his fifth homer of the season with two RBIs and two runs scored for the Vikings.

Jaxon Spangler (2-2) got the win in relief, going the final three innings with six strikeouts. Frazier got the start and went the first three innings with four Ks. Walker went the middle three innings with five strikeouts.

In Monday’s road win, the Vikings used a five-run eighth inning to up their lead to 15-7, then had to withstand two tworun rallies by the Wonder Boys to hold on for the road victory.

For the game, Florenzano was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI Christian was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored, Ty Wiley was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, Jackson Harrell was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Alexander Nirider was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Herrera doubled with three RBIs for CASC.

Madden Dillard (1-1) got his first win in relief as he went the most innings, 2.2 with three strikeouts. Carter Norris got the start and went 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. After Dillard, Hudson Birch went the next two innings with two Ks. Landon Donaho pitched the eighth inning, then T.J. King pitched the ninth inning with a strikeout.

The Vikings will face Redlands Community College in a two-day fourgame series. After the two teams played a doubleheader Thursday afternoon in El Reno, the two squads will meet for a 1 p.m. twinbill Saturday at Mark Pollard Park at Ival Goodman Field.