Eastern unloads vs. Connors State in conference tourney

By Adrian O'Hanlon III, McAlester News-Capital

Eight homers in one game lifted the Mountaineers to the title game.

Eastern Oklahoma State College got eight dingers — two from Cody Muncy and Chance Parker, and one apiece from Ryan Kouba, Chance Long, Cade Tucker and David Vilches — in a 26-13 win against Connors State College on Saturday to advance to the NJCAA Region II conference tournament championship.

The conference tournament championship game is set for 1 p.m. Sunday against Seminole State College with the if-necessary game scheduled for 4 p.m.

On Saturday, Eastern took an early four-run lead Philip Scott doubling in two runs and Muncy hitting a two-run homer in the first inning.

Anthony Martinez hit an RBI triple, Vilches hit a two-run dinger and Tucker singled in a run in the top of the second inning before Connors pulled within 8-3 through the second inning.

Scott and Muncy each singled in a run in the top of the third and Connors State got a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Parker hit a solo shot before Connors State cut its deficit to 11-7 through the fourth.

Eastern unloaded in the fifth with three straight home runs after Muncy mashed a three-run tater, and Tucker and Kouba followed with solo homers. Davin Gummere doubled in a run before Martinez and Vilches each drove in a run on the way to a 19-7 lead going to the bottom of the fifth.

Parker added a solo shot in the sixth before Connors State pulled back within 20-9 through the sixth.

Long highlighted another big inning with a grand slam to help Eastern take a 26-9 lead in the top of the seventh before Connors State added four runs in the bottom of the frame.

Muncy finished 5-for-6 with four runs and seven RBIs, Parker was 4-for-6 with four runs and three RBIs, and Scott went 4-for-5 with four runs and three RBIs.

The Mountaineers took a walk-off 8-7 win against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on Thursday to start the double-elimination tournament before dropping an 11-5 loss Friday to Connors State and taking a 12-1 win Saturday against Rose State College and the win against Connors State.

The following are NJCAA Region II tournament results:

Game 1: Eastern 8, NEO 7

Game 2: Connors State College 16, Rose State College 13

Game 3: Seminole State College 21, Arkansas Baptist College 2

Game 4: Rose State 13, Arkansas Baptist 12

Game 5: Connors 11, Eastern 5

Game 6: Seminole 17, NEO 15

Game 7: Eastern 12, Rose 1

Game 8: Seminole 9, Connors 8

Game 9: Eastern 26, Connors 13

Game 10: Seminole vs. Eastern, 1 p.m., Sunday

Game 11: If necessary, 4 p.m. Sunday