Aggies rally for split with No. 13 Central Oklahoma

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LAWTON, Okla. (April 17) - Rusty Fortney's single to center field in the bottom of the fifth proved to be the game-winner on Saturday, as Cameron topped 13th-ranked Central Oklahoma in the second game of an afternoon doubleheader at McCord Field.

Coach Todd Holland's Aggies dropped the first contest 7-2, but rallied for a 7-5 win in the nightcap to improve to 24-15 overall and 10-9 in Lone Star Conference North Division play. Both teams will square off again on Sunday in a nine-inning game scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at Cameron's McCord Field.

UCO (32-12, 12-4) grabbed an early 3-0 lead in Saturday's second contest, tagging Cameron starter Derek Bennett for three runs on four hits over the first three innings. But Cameron erupted for five runs in the bottom half of the third to take the lead. Consecutive singles by Trey Chambers, Josh Burkhart and Cody Brooks set the table for Steve Clark. The senior from Calgary laced a single to center field to score two, giving Cameron its first lead since the first inning of Game 1. Derrick Mihecoby then followed with a two-run triple to the gap in right-center, making it 5-3 Aggies.

Cameron added a pair of needed insurance runs in the fifth. Clark started the rally with a single down the left field line and after Mihecoby was hit by a pitch, Rick Justice caught the UCO defense sleeping with a bunt single to load the bases. Fortney then followed with his game-winning single and Mike Espinoza later ripped a single through the left side to give Cameron a 7-3 cushion.

Bennett settled in to keep the Bronchos hitless from the fourth inning until the seventh, when UCO threatened to stage a late comeback. The Bronchos scored on a sacrifice fly by Drew Bowers and a single by Jeremy Leeper, but Bennett got the final batter to strike out with a pair of runners on base for his fifth complete-game victory of the season.

Saturday's opening contest got off to a good start for the Aggies. Brooks sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in center field, leading off the bottom of the first with a solo homer.

But Cameron didn't score again until the sixth and not before surrendering seven runs to the Bronchos. Leeder homered in consecutive innings and finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBI.

Garrett Ritter took the loss for the Aggies on the mound, allowing five earned runs on five hits.

The Aggies scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth when Clark reached base on a Broncho error. Clark advanced to second on the error and stole third before Justice singled to center field to pick up the RBI and forge the final score.