GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Coming off a 7-3 victory over Grand View (Iowa) to avoid elimination earlier in the day, Oklahoma Wesleyan kept the postseason hopes alive as the Eagles took advantage of defensive miscues by Davenport to escape with an 8-6 win over the Panthers Thursday evening at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.
 
The victory forces game nine of the NAIA Opening Round Grand Rapids bracket Friday at noon, with the winner earning the right to go to Lewiston, Idaho for the Avista-NAIA World Series.
 
Even though Davenport won the hitting column 17-12, the Eagles got two doubles in the fifth inning that helped them rally from a two-run deficit. Will Price had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Eagles in both columns.
 
Jordan Zylstra and Brendan Bender both tallied three of the Panthers dozen hits. Zylstra also stretched one of his hits to second base and had a pair of RBI.
 
The bullpen had to carry both teams in this game. Oklahoma Wesleyan's Sam Haynes lasted 4 2/3 innings on the mound allowing five runs, three earned, on 12 hits. Jacob Ficklin earned the win after stopping the damage in the fifth that saw Davenport score three runs to take a 5-3 lead. Ficklin went 1 1/3 not allowing a run before handing it over to CJ Gregory in the seventh, who earned his first save of the season allowing a run on three hits in the ninth.
 
The Eagles offense, meanwhile, ended Corey Sessions day in the second after tallying four singles off him to setup a three-run inning. Even though Sessions was cleared from the pitcher of record after Davenport took a 5-3 lead in the fifth, Ryan Butzer couldn't hold the lead in the same inning when the Eagles tallied the two doubles and the two-run single by Price.
 
Baseball Contact: Rick Hoskin | 616-871-6180 | rhoskin@davenport.edu
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