Aggies complete season sweep over NSU

UPDATED STATISTICS»

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (April 15) - Coach Todd Holland's Cameron baseball team fell one homerun short of tying a school record Saturday, blasting five dingers to down Northeastern State 19-9 in the second of two Aggie comeback wins.

Cameron (27-17) scored five runs in the seventh to win the first game 9-8, giving the Aggies a season sweep over the Redmen while improving to 12-3 in Lone Star Conference North Division play. The victories, coupled with Central Oklahoma's loss in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader with East Central, also moved the Aggies into a tie with UCO for the division lead.

After jumping out to an early 5-1 lead in Saturday's second contest, Cameron trailed 8-5 late in the game. But the Aggies erupted for 14 runs over the final two innings, including eight in the final frame to pull away. Junior B.J. Cole provided one of the many offensive highlights for Cameron in the seventh, blasting a three-run homer for his second round-tripper of the game. Cole's first homer came in the first inning, just one batter after Blake Hughes had given the Aggies an early lead with a two-run homer.

Greg Patton belted a two-run blast in the third and John Herbert followed Cole's seventh-inning shot with a solo blast to give the Aggies five home runs in the game.

Cole finished the game with five RBI, while Hughes plated six runs. Matt Machinski, who became just the seventh player in Cameron history to have five hits in a game in Friday's win over NSU, went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI.

After falling behind early, Northeastern rallied with three runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to take an 8-5 advantage. But Cameron reliever Ryan Whiteley came on to handcuff the Redmen, earning his first victory in his first pitching appearance of the season. Whiteley struck out two and allowed just two hits in just over two innings of work.

The Aggies played catch-up against the Redmen in Saturday's opener, as well. Hughes homered and Patton singled in a run in the top of the first, but Northeastern answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a three-run homer by Zach Hamby.

Cameron picked up an unearned run in the second to even the score and took a 4-3 lead on an RBI single by Herbert in the fifth. But Northeastern pulled ahead again in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Hamby and Eric Humphrey's two-run homer.

Trailing 6-4, the Aggies rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs without the benefit of a single hit. Two NSU pitchers combined to walk the bases loaded to open the inning before the Aggies plated runs on a sacrifice hit, wild pitch and hit batter. Two more Aggies crossed the plate on an NSU fielding error.

Glen Tupper earned his first pitching victory of the year for the Aggies, working one full inning of relief. Ryan Totte came on in the seventh, striking out two and allowing one hit to earn the save.