It was two losses,7-1 and 7-5, in the double header for Howard Payne baseball against the University of the Ozarks Friday afternoon.

In the first game, UO took a 5-0 lead on a Cory Briggs three run home run in the third inning. HPU would answer back with one run. The Jackets allowed two more to cross the plate in the final six making it a 7-1 loss.

The Yellow Jackets Will Hood was charged with the loss pitching 5.1 innings allowing six runs, three earned, on seven hits, striking out three batters. 
Ozarks’ Bobby Osburn pitched a complete game allowing one run on six hits, with four strikeouts.

In the second game of the double header, UO again got out to the early 3-0 on a home run in the third. This time the HR was from Scott Dietz, on a two run shot to left center. In the seventh inning, HPU would eventually tie the game at three when pinch hitter, Jake Dean, hit a single scoring Dustin Climer in the bottom of the seventh.

Ozarks answered back with two runs at the top of the eighth on Chris Driedric’s two run double taking the score 5-3. The Yellow Jackets wouldn’t go away either tying the game again, 5-5, when Ray Rosales hit a double into left center scoring Nick Loving and Lucas Creed.

The game went into extra innings only for the UO to grab two runs again in the top of the tenth to be unmatched by HPU making the final score 7-5.

HPU’s Rey Rosales was 4 of 5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Climer was 2 of 4 from the plate scoring one run.

Ozark’s Brett Wood picked up the win. In his 2.2 innings of work he had three strikeouts, while allowing one earned run on four hits. HPU’s Robert Anders is charged with the loss for the Jackets. 

The Jackets move to 7-5 on the season and Ozarks moves up to 5-8.

The Yellow Jackets next game will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 6 at Don Shepard Park in Brownwood against the Univ. of the Ozarks.