February 15th, 2009
(Photo of Jeremy Macklin by Ron Macklin)
Box Score
SEGUIN, Texas – The dominant relief pitching of Brad Orosey and the clutch hitting of Jeremy Macklin helped bring Texas Lutheran a 7-5 non-conference win Sunday over California State-East Bay.
TLU (5-2) won the three-game series two games to one. The Bulldogs dropped the opener Friday but rallied for wins Saturday and Sunday. East Bay dropped to 3-6 with the loss.
In Sunday’s game at TLU’s Katt-Isbel Field, the freshman right-hander Orosey (Houston/Cypress Creek) pitched 6-2/3 innings of relief and did not allow an earned run.
Orosey (2-0) struck out seven and did not walk a batter. Orosey relieved TLU starter Louis Lee (Cypress/Cypress Christian/Eastfield JC) in the third inning.
Senior third baseman Macklin (Austin/Bowie/Huston-Tillotson) hit the game-winning two-run home run in the eighth inning to break a 5-5 tie.
With Andrew Femath (El Paso/Montwood/Howard JC) on first after a lead-off single, Macklin was asked to bunt on each of the first two pitches to him, but both offerings were off the plate. The bunt sign was lifted on the 2-0 pitch, a fastball, which Macklin hammered to right-center field on a line.
Macklin finished the game with three hits in five at-bats. He scored twice and had the three RBI.
Senior left fielder Drew Farr (Taylor/Taylor) belted a two-run home run as part of a four-run third inning. The Bulldogs trailed 3-0 after two innings and took their first lead of the afternoon with the four-run frame.
The Bulldogs’ first run of the fourth came on a Macklin double. The last run of the fourth crossed home after a bases-loaded walk to Chris Siniff (San Antonio/Judson).
The Bulldogs took a 5-3 lead in the fifth on an RBI single from shortstop Chris Green (Austin/Bowie/Concordia Texas) that scored junior right fielder Ryan Nokelby (Santa Fe/Santa Fe).
East Bay tied the game with two unearned runs in the sixth inning. Mark Marelich and Chad Masters produced RBI for the Pioneers in the frame.
TLU returns to action Tuesday with a non-conference home game against Southwestern University. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at TLU’s Katt-Isbel Field.