Bison Bow Out of Regional Tourney with Saturday Losses

May 16, 2004

After advancing to the winner's bracket final, the OBU Bison saw their longshot hopes for a berth in the NAIA World Series disappear with back-to-back losses Saturday in Oklahoma City. OBU fell 14-1 to top-ranked Oklahoma City University, and then dropped an elimination game to Houston Baptist Univeristy, 6-3.

OBU finished the season with a 36-25 record, including three victories at the regional tournament after a strong second-place finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament.

OBU toop a 1-0 lead against OCU Saturday, but the Stars shut out the Bison for the remainder of the contest. OBU collected five hits in the game. Tony Ramos, who drove in the winning run in a 13-inning victory over Waland Baptist on Friday, scored OBU's lone run after he walked with one out and then stole second. He scored when OCU's second baseman booted a Brandon Dale grounder.

OCU's Arnie Gomez capped the game with a grand slam in a seven-run top of the ninth. OBU's Sean Dryden was tagged with the loss, giving up six runs in six innings.

In the elimination contest, the Bison led 3-1 heading to the bottom of the seventh, but HBU tallied five runs in the inning.

OBU's John Gibson hit a two-run single with two outs in the sixth to break a scoreless tie. After HBU picked up a run in the bottom of the inning, the Bison responded with a run in the seventh. Wes Davis scored on a single by James Penn to make it 3-1 OBU.

Brent Terrell took the loss for the Bison, allowing four runs on seven hits in 6-2/3 innings.

Oklahoma City University defeated HBU in the championship game, 19-2, advancing to the NAIA Super Regional. The Stars (68-5) will face Region V champion William Jewell College May 20-22 in a best-of-3 series. The winner will advance to the 48th Annual NAIA World Series, May 28-June 4, at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho.