Tech's Ryan Hayden set a NAIA West single game RBI record with 11 in his final collegiate contest. Hayden hit a grand slam and a three-run double to go with a pair of two-run singles. (photo by Kelly Caleb)
Tech’s Hayden Sets CCC/NAIA West RBI Record in Final Collegiate Contest
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech, and their 11 seniors , battled back from deficits in both games, but were unable to come away with a win in NAIA West baseball action, dropping a pair of two-run games (9-7 & 20-18) to Concordia University to close out the 2014 season. Ryan Hayden made his last collegiate game memorable, however, surpassing a CCC/NAIA West Grouping single-game RBI record held since 1997 (9) with a record setting 11 in today's final contest.
Oregon Tech’s season ends with an 11-37 overall mark while going 6-22 in NAIA West play. Concordia improved to 26-18 on the season and 16-12 in NAIA West action.
Game 1 – Blake Drake provided the game’s first run, leading off with a solo homerun over the left field wall, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Tech put four runs on the board in their first at-bat when Domonic Morris led off with a single, later scoring on an Aaron Bocchi grounder to first. A CU throwing error led to another run, with Bryce Asao and Marty Shanks adding a RBI each to power out to a 4-1 lead.
The Cavs returned the four-run favor in the second inning when Drake connected on his second homerun of the game, a grand slam, to put CU up 5-4. Another CU homerun, a Cole Buruse solo shot in the fifth inning, made it a 6-4 game.
Tech would match it with a single run in their half of the fifth to pull to 6-5. Shanks led off the inning with a single moving to third on an Aaron Burke double. Tech would capitalize on a throwing error by the CU shortstop leading to the run.
The Owls would take advantage of the Cavs’ fourth error of the game when an errant throw in the infield brought home both Tyson Dahl and Asao, who had back-to-back singles to open the inning, giving Tech a 7-6 lead after six complete.
With neither team scoring in the seventh, CU regained their lead, 9-7, with three runs in the eighth. Adam Taylor highlighted the inning with a two-run single.
In the ninth, Oregon Tech managed to get out of a jam with a 6-4-3 double play, but were unable to plate any runs in their last at-bat, falling in the opener by the same 9-7 score.
Game 2 – A 12-run fourth inning for Concordia propelled the Cavs to a 20-18 win in the nightcap, and sweeping the four-game series on the weekend.
Trailing CU by a 5-0 count, Oregon Tech’s Ryan Hayden kept the Owls close, and with one swing made it a 5-4 game on his second inning grand slam. His three-run double, part of Tech’s four-run third, gave the Owls an 8-6 lead. Hayden would drive in his ninth RBI on a single in the fourth inning. Meanwhile, the Cavs exploded for 12 runs to go up 18-11 after four complete.
Hayden would tack on two more RBI, for a total of 11 in the game, on a sixth inning single, as the Owls plated seven runs in the inning to make it a 20-18 contest.
Oregon Tech’s Eric Christiansen, in relief, and CU’s Brennon Mossholder, who earned his first save, quieted both sides’ bats over the final three innings with the game ending by the same 20-18 score.
Ryan Hayden closed out his collegiate career on a high-note as the senior second baseman drove in a career-high 11 runs on his four hits in the game. Ethan Schlecht and Colton Minton finished out with three hits and two RBI each. Domonic Morris drove in a run on two hits.
For Concordia, Mike Egmani was 4-for-5 with five RBI in the win. Cole Buruse, Ian Erickson and Adam Taylor added two hits and two RBI each with Ryan McMonigle adding a hit and driving in two runs.