MONTICELLO, Ark. - The University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team was unable to hold off Ouachita Baptist in the late innings of game one losing 11-9 Saturday. The Weevils put together a double-digit hit effort to hold the lead down the stretch, but surrendered seven runs in final two innings to ultimately take the loss at Weevils Field.

UAM falls to 9-13 on the season and 9-10 in Great American Conference games while OBU improves to 8-18 overall and 4-15 in league play.

The Weevils jumped in front early capitalizing on three hits and three OBU errors in the first inning. Cade Thompson led off the frame with a single and Andrew Piraino followed with a single of his own with both runners taking an extra base due to an error by the left fielder. The third-straight hit for UAM came off the bat of Aaron Gaela driving home the first run with a single through the left side. Hudson Hopkins then reached on an error and Piraino capitalized on a throwing error on the same play to race home to score. The Weevils capped the inning with a sacrifice fly by Grant Shepherd to take a 3-0 lead.

Mason Philley worked a scoreless two frames to start the game while striking out four before trouble struck in the third. Two walks and a bunt single all came around to score on a one-out grand slam by the Tigers. Philley rebounded to strand two on base to end the inning keeping the score at 4-3.

UAM responded quickly as Dylan Borman hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the third and came around to score on a two-out RBI-single by Trey Forsythe to tie the game.

In the home half of the fourth, Borman gave the Weevils the lead launching a three-run home run over the fence in left field.

Philley worked around runners on base, but kept the Tigers off the board in the fourth and fifth to maintain the UAM lead at 7-4.

The Weevils turned to the bullpen in the sixth with Trent Bunting dealing a scoreless frame.

Borman kept his hot hitting day going in the sixth smashing his second home run of the day with a solo blast to extend the Weevils lead.

UAM tacked on one more run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Torrin Vaselenak to push the lead to 9-4.

Bunting allowed the first run of his outing in the top of the eighth, but limited any more damage by leaving two runners stranded on base.

Ojani Chacon took over on the mound to start the ninth and struggled to record an out. The first four hitters reached base including a two-run double that cut the UAM lead in half. The big blow came two batters later as the Tigers hit their second grand slam of the contest to take the lead.

The Weevils turned to Jared Roberts to get out of the inning recording the final two outs of the frame.

In the bottom of the ninth UAM put two runners on with just one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended any chance of a rally as the Weevils ultimately fell 11-9.

Borman led the way for the Weevils at the plate going 3-for-5 with two home runs, four runs driven in and three runs scored. As a team UAM had 11 hits in the contest as eight players registered at least one hit.

Philley allowed four runs on six hits in 5.0 innings while striking out 12 in the start.

Bunting gave up just one unearned run in 3.0 innings out of the bullpen.

Chacon (L, 0-2) took the loss surrendering six runs in the top of the ninth while recording only one out.

Roberts recorded two outs including one strikeout in his relief appearance.

Ben Miller (W, 1-0) picked up the win after pitching a scoreless eighth inning.

Cooper Timmons (S, 1) earned the save dealing a scoreless frame in the ninth.

UP NEXT

UAM wraps up its series against OBU with a doubleheader Sunday at Weevils Field. First pitch is scheduled for noon.