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WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The playoff push is in full effect for the SWOSU baseball team as the Bulldogs swept Northwestern Oklahoma State on Friday to all but assure themselves of a spot in the Great American Conference Tournament next weekend in Enid. SWOSU beat NWOSU 7-4 and 9-6, running their current win streak to four games.
SWOSU 7, Northwestern 4Box Score Jonathan Johnson tossed yet another complete game in his final home start and earned the win despite allowing eight hits and four earned runs. The Bulldogs scored in each of the first three innings as they built a 4-1 lead and three runs spread across the fifth and sixth innings provided Johnson all the support he would need.
The middle of the lineup came through for the Bulldogs as
Dalton Daniels,
Kale Thaxton,
Chris Faulkner and
Mitchell Brittain all had two hits apiece and accounted for eight of SWOSU's nine hits. Thaxton got SWOSU their first run on an RBI single in the first and
Dietrick Turney had an RBI double in the second to make it 2-1. Thaxton had another RBI on a double in the third and Brittain brought Thaxton in with a single up the middle later in the inning.
Errors began to plague Northwestern in the middle innings and two of the Bulldogs final three runs were unearned as the Rangers committed five errors. Faulkner added an RBI single in the sixth inning for the Bulldogs final run of the game.
Johnson earned the victory, improving to 6-5 on the year, by throwing his ninth complete-game of the season
SWOSU 9, Northwestern 6Box Score Faulkner was 2-for-4 with four RBI in the second game to help the Bulldogs complete the sweep. Faulkner's hits included a three-run home run in the third inning that put SWOSU up 6-4 and an RBI triple in the fifth that broke a 6-6 tie. He later scored in the inning on a groundout by Brittain.
Ethan Davis got the start in game two and tossed his eighth complete game of the season to earn the victory. He allowed a pair of runs in the second, third and fourth innings, but shut the Rangers down in the final three innings while SWOSU pulled away for the win. Davis – who moves to 8-3 with the win – allowed 11 hits and six earned runs while striking out eight batters.
The Bulldogs host the Rangers at 1 pm on Saturday for the final game of the series. It will also serve as Senior Day at the Athletic Complex and SWOSU will honor their 12 seniors prior to first pitch.
