TEXARKANA, TEXAS (Feb. 4, 2017) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) Saints baseball team split a pair of games on Saturday, defeating the Evangel University (EU) Crusaders and losing to the Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) Eagles.

OLLU finished the weekend 4-3 while Evangel fell to 0-4 and TAMUT remained undefeated at 4-0.

The Saints swept their series with Evangel, defeating the Crusaders 5-2 in seven innings. JB Martinez (SO/San Antonio, Texas) got his second start of the season for the Saints, picking up his first win.  Jesus Ramirez (SO/Quitman, Texas) got the save.

"We came out aggressive on the offensive side and really put pressure on them early to set the tone," Head Coach Jeremy Flores said. "Anytime we have a lead with the type of staff we have, we feel confident about our chances."

OLLU struck early with four runs at the top of the first inning and picked up an insurance run in the fifth. The Saints' six hits came from six different batters. Connor Kalisky (SR/San Antonio, Texas) led the Saints offensively, hitting 1-for-2 with an RBI and run scored.

Martinez pitched four innings, striking out four of the 16 batters he faced, giving up four hits and two runs, one of which was unearned. The bullpen pitched a shutout with Chase Smith (SR/La Porte, Texas) pitching two innings, striking out two and facing six batters. Ramirez pitched one inning, retiring all three batters he faced, striking out two.

Game 2

In the second game, the Saints lost to the Eagles 5-6 on a walk-off single from Nick Anderson in the bottom of the seventh inning. OLLU had nine hits, committed three errors and left eight runners stranded on base. TAMUT had 10 hits, no errors and left eight stranded on base.

Brandon Cogbill (SR/Lake Dallas, Texas) got the start for the Saints, pitching 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits and five earned runs while striking out eight of the 22 batters he faced. Chase Smith relieved him and gave up the game-winning run.

"I think overall, we played well enough to win the game, we just fell short," Flores said. "Brandon Cogbill did a phenomenal job keeping their offense off balance all night and giving our team an opportunity to win. On the offensive side, it was good to see our lineup come up with big, timely hits and execute in a variety of situations. It's never a good feeling to lose, but we really learned a lot about our team this weekend."

The Saints scored three runs in the third inning, one run in the fifth and one in the sixth. Matt Beasley (SR/Burleson, Texas) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Darius Patton (SR/San Antonio, Texas) had two walks and scored both times. Connor Kalisky was 2-for-3 and Jacob Pool (SO/Leander, Texas) was 2-for-4 with one RBI. Orlando Collado (SR/Bronx, N.Y.) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored.

The Saints will play an away game against nearby NCAA Division II St. Mary's University on Tuesday, Feb. 7. OLLU trails the all-time series 1-2. From Feb. 10-11, the Saints will host a series against Sterling College. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Our Lady of the Lake University is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016-2017 as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The University began competing in the NAIA in men's soccer and volleyball in 2007. A year later, they added women's soccer, golf and tennis. In 2009, the Saints began competing in cross-country, softball and basketball. In 2014, OLLU added two more sports — baseball and track and field. There are now 13 intercollegiate athletic teams at OLLU. All athletic alumni and up to two family members will receive free admission to basketball and volleyball games throughout the season. Baseball is not included in this special offer. All other home games are free and open to the public.