Game Details:
Friday, March 16, 2018
Brownwood, Texas | Don Shepard Field

Game One: University of the Ozarks 2, Howard Payne 1
Game Two: University of the Ozarks 11, Howard Payne 8

Records:
University of the Ozarks: 10-7, 5-3 ASC
Howard Payne University: 10-6, 1-4 ASC

GAME ONE
Breyden Varner's RBI double to centerfield pushed across the winning run in the top of the eighth inning to give Ozarks a 2-1 victory over Howard Payne in conference action. Howard Payne led all the way up to the seventh inning. Fielder Dufrene recorded a big hit up the middle to score Josh Woolly and tie the contest 1-1. With one out and a runner in scoring position and another on first base, Corey Steward was inserted to provide the Eagles with a boost out of the pen. Howard Payne then loaded the bases, but the freshman right-hander fanned the next batter and forced a groundout to extend the game to the eighth. Sam Swartz led off the eighth with a walk and Varner promptly smashed one to centerfield to put Ozarks ahead 2-1. Steward forced a fly out and a strikeout back-to-back. After a single, Steward got another fly out to end the game. Steward tossed 1.2 innings to receive the win. Starter Gyeongju Kim was outstanding in six innings as he fanned six and allowed just three hits. He was charged with one earned run.

Pitching Decisions:
WP: Corey Steward (W, 3-0) 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
LP: Shawn Brody (L, 1-2) 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Ozarks' Scoring Summary:
Top of 7th Inning
Cliff Lunceford to lf.
Bailey Smith to cf.
Josh Woolly singled to center field.
Patrick Mixon grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; Josh Woolly advanced to second. (1 out)
Fielder Dufrene singled up the middle, RBI; Josh Woolly scored.
Mason BaDour walked; Fielder Dufrene advanced to second.
Justin Crider grounded into double play ss to 1b; Mason BaDour out on the play. (3 out)

Top of 8th Inning
Shawn Brody to p for Brenden Clanton.
Sam Swartz walked.
Breyden Varner doubled to center field, RBI; Sam Swartz scored.
Patrick Clifford singled through the left side; Breyden Varner advanced to third.
Dakota Ebarb struck out swinging. (1 out)
Josh Woolly struck out swinging. (2 out)
Patrick Mixon struck out swinging. (3 out)

Notables:
Freshman pitcher Corey Steward moved his record to 3-0 on the season after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
Gyeongju Kim has 31 strikeouts on the season.

GAME TWO
Patrick Clifford homered for the fifth time this season to provide the Eagles with a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning and fuel a 11-8 victory. Clifford's long ball over the centerfield wall drove in three runs. Howard Payne got two runs back in the bottom half of the first, but Clifford answered with a two-run double and Woolly drove in one in the third. In the fifth, the Eagles scored twice more to lead 8-2. Howard Payne did cut it to 8-6 in the bottom half of the frame. In the seventh, Woolly tripled in two runs and Patrick Mixon drove in one to give Ozarks a 11-6 cushion. In Clifford's big day, he finished 3-for-4 with five RBI. Woolly nearly matched it going 3-for-4 with four RBI. Jacob Barker tossed two innings of scoreless ball to receive the win out of the pen. Jack Waggoner posted the save.  

Pitching Decisions:
Win: Jacob Barker (W, 1-0) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Loss: Preston Newman (L, 1-2) 4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

Ozarks' Scoring Summary:
Top of 1st Inning
Justin Crider singled through the right side.
Sam Swartz grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; Justin Crider advanced to second. (1 out)
Justin Crider advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Breyden Varner walked.
Patrick Clifford homered to center field, 3 RBI; Breyden Varner scored; Justin Crider scored.
Dakota Ebarb flied out to cf. (2 out)
Josh Woolly flied out to cf. (3 out)

Top of 3rd Inning
Justin Crider singled up the middle.
Sam Swartz popped up to ss. (1 out)
Justin Crider stole second.
Breyden Varner walked.
Patrick Clifford doubled to left center, 2 RBI; Breyden Varner scored; Justin Crider scored.
Dakota Ebarb flied out to lf. (2 out)
Josh Woolly singled through the left side, RBI; Patrick Clifford scored.
Patrick Mixon flied out to cf. (3 out)

Top of 5th Inning
Breyden Varner singled through the left side.
Breyden Varner advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Patrick Clifford singled up the middle; Breyden Varner advanced to third.
Wesley Smith to p for Preston Newman.
Dakota Ebarb grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; Patrick Clifford out on the play. (2 out)
Josh Woolly doubled to right center, RBI; Breyden Varner scored.
Josh Woolly advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Patrick Mixon walked.
Patrick Mixon stole second.
Patrick Mixon advanced to third, out at home 2b to p; Josh Woolly scored on a wild pitch.

Top of 7th Inning
Sam Swartz lined out to rf. (1 out)
Breyden Varner walked.
Patrick Clifford struck out looking. (2 out)
Dakota Ebarb singled down the lf line; Breyden Varner advanced to second.
Josh Woolly tripled to left center, 2 RBI; Dakota Ebarb scored; Breyden Varner scored.
Patrick Mixon singled to shortstop, RBI; Josh Woolly scored.
Fielder Dufrene lined out to ss. (3 out)

Notables: 
Patrick Clifford homered for the fifth time this season.
Josh Woolly recorded his first triple of the season.

Up Next:
The Eagles will finish out the series against Howard Payne March 17 at 1:00 p.m.