CANYON, Texas – SWOSU Baseball opened the season with two close one-run games, but ended both games on the short side of West Texas A&M, who swept the Super Bowl Sunday doubleheader in Canyon.
West Texas A&M 6, SWOSU 5Box Score Facing a 6-0 deficit after five innings, the Bulldogs rallied to score five runs in the final two innings before the game ended with two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh.
Connor Garcia allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits, taking the loss in his first start as a Bulldog before
Taylor Weifenbach and
Ben Schweifurth closed out the game on the hill.
The Bulldogs would rally late, however, scoring four runs on three hits in the sixth inning to get on the board and back within two runs.
Greg Bruno drew a bases-loaded walk before
Mason Marshall hit a two-run single to center and
Dalton Daniels brought Bruno across on an RBI groundout. In the seventh,
Haden Houska added an RBI double and the Bulldogs had runners on second and third as the final two outs were recorded.
West Texas A&M 4, SWOSU 3Box Score The Bulldogs had to again come from behind in the second game of the set, allowing three runs on three hits with an error in the third inning. All three runs were unearned after an error started the inning. SWOSU steadily battled back, getting two runs in the fourth after an error and an RBI single from
Bryan Holt got the Bulldogs back within one.
Korbin Polston completed the comeback as the Bulldogs tied the game in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Polston that plated
CJ Faddis from third base. Defensive issues again cost SWOSU in the bottom of the inning as West Texas A&M took advantage of a Bulldog error to push across the unearned go-ahead run, making it 4-3.
SWOSU had a scoring opportunity again late, getting
Christian Perez and Polston on base for
Nolan Barrientos, who was called out on strikes facing a full count to end the game.
Jon Chidester took the tough-luck loss for the Bulldogs, allowing seven hits and four unearned runs in five innings while striking out four with two walks.
The Bulldogs (0-2) head to Grand Prairie, Texas and the QuikTrip Division II Classic for their next action, starting with a matchup against Pittsburg State on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm.
