Oklahoma Baptist opened the 2009 baseball season with a sweep of East Central Wednesday, 3-1 and 2-0.

OBU got sterling efforts from its pitching staff, which combined to allow one run on 10 hits with 13 strikeouts in 14 innings of work.

Tyler Duran left after five no-hit innings in the opener and four (Anthony Ramirez, Brent Robison and Justin Trejo) of the five Bison to work kept their earned run averages perfect.

"Tyler looked really good today," said OBU coach Bobby Cox. "(Robison) looked all right, Trejo threw really well and Ramirez came on in a tight spot and got some ground balls."

The Bison also played error-free for the doubleheader and turned in some nice plays.

"Our left side - (Matt) Welch and (Billy) Thomas played really well and Vic (Manzano) did great behind the plate," said Cox.

Manzano threw out all three would-be Tiger base stealers in the second game.

The Bison backed Duran (1-0) in the first game with a run in the second when Welch scored on Billy Jarka's double-play grounder. A second run came in the third, courtesy of Sean Iago's first Bison home run - a shot to right field.

Duran left after five complete, allowing two walks to go with four strikeouts. He left with a 3-0 lead after an RBI ground out by Iago in the bottom of the fifth.
Chase Jestice got in and out of a bases-loaded jam when Trejo ran down a long fly ball in right field.

OBU surrendered a run in the seventh on a Andrew Minnich homer to left, followed by two more base runners with no outs. Ramirez came in and shut the door with a double-play ball and a ground out, collecting his first Bison save in the process.

The Tigers got their best scoring chance in the second inning after a leadoff double by Zach Hammons. Hammons moved to third on a ground out, but tried and failed to score on a come-backer to Robison. Robison tossed to Manzano for the tag out at home.

The Bison got on the board in the second when Arin Fowble singled and eventually scored on a ground out by Josh Kirkpatrick.

ECU came up short in a two-out rally in the fourth when Robison fanned Clint Bowker with the bases loaded.

OBU added the only other run of the game in the fourth when Josh Collazo walked, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Kirkpatrick.

Robison (1-0) fanned seven before giving way to Trejo, who allowed two hits and struck out two over two and third innings to pick up the save.
The Bison combined for 10 hits in the twin bill.

"I think both teams showed the signs of not being outside for two weeks," said Cox. "There were a lot of bad at bats."

Now 2-0, the Bison head south to Abilene, Texas, to play University of the Southwest on Friday and Southwest and Hardin-Simmons on Saturday.