Huskies Rally Past OBU in Ninth

February 28, 2005

Oklahoma Baptist took a lead into the ninth inning but 11th-ranked Houston Baptist scored three times to claim a 4-2 win over the No. 22 Bison Monday.

Chris Ryan held the Huskies to one run on five hits through eight innings of work, but HBU answered at Chad Rhoades' expense.

Houston Baptist reached OBU's closer for a three-spot on two hits, a hit batsman and catcher's interference.

Kip Pridgeon led off the top of the ninth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Steve Ahrens' late swing took OBU catcher Eric Curry's glove off on a foul ball with a 1-2 count. Ahrens was awarded first base.

"It was a late swing," said assistant coach Chris Klimas, sitting in for ailing coach Bobby Cox, who missed the game. "If (Curry) had reached for it, I would have been pretty angry at him, but he didn't. It was just a fluke thing. The ball was already in the mitt."

Tim Papa then tripled down the right field line, plating both runners and giving HBU the 3-2 lead. Papa would score on a double steal after A.J. Fentanes took a curve ball in the back.

OBU had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Kip Keith singled and moved to second on a sacrifice by Frankie Ibarra. He moved to third on Nick Bakich's ground out and scored on a Danny Guidry single.

The Huskies knotted the game in the fourth on Jason Pickett's RBI double.

OBU took the lead back in the sixth when Felix Peguero reached on an error and scored on a two-out single by Rett Terrell.

Chris Ford held OBU to the two runs over seven innings before giving way to Clay Folloder, who got the win in relief. Danny Henry pitched an uneventful ninth for fourth save.

Rhoades dropped to 0-1 with the loss in his first blown save in five chances.