COLLEGE BASEBALL: Wranglers sweep opening doubleheader

Odessa College baseball coach Brian Blessie said he wasn’t happy after his team’s 11-7 and 6-2 victories against Butler (Kan.) Friday at American Legion Park.

Blessie told his players they lost focus and gave Butler the opportunity to get back in both contests, the season openers for both teams.

PHOTO GALLERY: Odessa College versus Butler

“We definitely had lapses in both games,” Blessie said after a brief meeting with his team on the field. “The pitchers seemed to lose focus on the mound after they fatigued a little, and we also made base-running and defensive errors.

“It allowed our opponent to score runs and get right back into the game.”

Blessie alluded to the first game, in which sophomore starter Derek Loera held a 3-0 lead going into the top of the fourth inning.

But Loera allowed Butler to pull within 3-2 after leaving a slew of pitches over the middle of the plate.

“I wasn’t locating my fastball well,” said Loera, who struck out nine in five innings. “Coach (Blessie) was calling them, but I just missed a few spots over the plate.”

Loera navigated his way out of the inning with the 3-2 lead the Wranglers went to work offensively by scoring eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning en route to the 11-7 win.

Armando Garza pitched the Wranglers to the Game 2 victory. A freshman, Garza struck out four and allowed two earned runs in five innings.

Edwin Gomez led the Wranglers on the offensive side, going 5-for-8 at the plate with one double and one RBI over both games.

“I’m just happy to get this game over with,” said Gomez, a sophomore infielder. “I was really excited today and I think the younger guys were too. But they calmed down and played well.”

Alexis Rodriguez was one of the “younger” players who performed well in his first outing for the Wranglers. The freshman went 4-for-7 at the plate and showed off his speed by tallying one double and one triple,

Ross Cunningham, Travis Hendry and Gus Strunk led the way for the Grizzlies (0-2), combining for 6 RBIs on 9-of-20 hitting in the doubleheader.

The Wranglers will play their second consecutive doubleheader against Barton (Kan.) at 12:30 and 3 p.m. today at American Legion Park.

>> Follow Carlos Silva Jr. on Twitter at @OASilvaJr

>>Odessa College 11-6,

>>Butler (Kan.) 7-2

GAME 1

Butler............. 000  223     0   —     7    12     2

OC.................. 030  332     X   —   11    14     1

Dakota McKaskle,  Scott Paramore (4), Grant Hamilton (5) and Tory Bell. Derek Loera, John Chalupa (6), Derek Tyner (7) and Robert De La Hoz. W — Loera. L — McKaskle. 2B — Odessa College: A.D. Hinojos 2. 3B — Butler: Gabe Cook. Odessa College: Alexis Rodriguez.

———

GAME 2

Butler............. 000  200     0   —     2      2     3

OC.................. 013  011     X   —     6    12     3

Taylor Berthusen, Curt Lanham (5) and Baylor Parker. Armando Garza, Jesus Vasquez (6) and Josh May. W — Garza. L — Berthusen. 2B — Odessa College: Alexis Rodriguez 1, Edwin Gomez 1, Niriam Mariam Prieto 1.

Records — Butler 0-2; Odessa College 2-0.