Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Cole Wagner went 3-for-5 at the plate, including the game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning, but West Texas A&M turned a bunt single in the top of the 10th inning into the go-ahead run and defeated SWOSU 9-8 in extra innings on Tuesday afternoon.
The Bulldogs had to work out of a 5-0 hole after allowing five runs on just one, one hit batter and four walks in the first inning. For the second straight outing, SWOSU starter
Sawyer Barnard was pulled before getting out of the first with
Brett McNaughton called upon early in relief.
SWOSU took advantage of errant pitching from WT as well, using three walks, a wild pitch and an RBI double from
Korbin Polston to gain back two runs, cutting the deficit to 5-2 after a prolonged first inning. The Bulldogs used another big inning in the second inning to tie the game with a two run single from
Zach Barton and an RBI single by
Bryan Holt that plated
Jacob Spring to tie the game at 5-5.
McNaughton set the Buffs down in order and the third and fourth innings, using a double play to take down WT's lone base runner in the third and SWOSU took their first lead on an another RBI hit by Barton, this time a single to center that scored Polston from third and made it 6-5.
Ben Schweifurth relieved McNaughton in the fifth and worked around a two-out triple to hold the Buffs in the fifth before they broke through with two runs on three hits in the sixth inning to regain a 7-6 advantage. WT got four hits in the top of the seventh inning, but SWOSU held them to just one run after Polston gunned out Aaron De La Paz at the plate as he tried to score from second on a base hit.
Trailing 8-6 entering the bottom of the seventh, SWOSU wasted little time tying the game up as Holt double to right center to lead off the inning and scored as the next batter,
CJ Faddis, single to left field to bring him home. Faddis advanced to second on a sac bunt from
Tyler Rapp and scored the game-tying run as Wagner came through in the clutch again, this time with an RBI single down the right field line.
Austin Hilton took the hill for SWOSU after
Dillon Freie faced one batter in the eighth and picked off a runner trying to steal third before recording his first strike out to end the inning. Polston was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth inning but was retired on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out play with Barton going down on strikes to end the inning. Hilton worked around one hit in the ninth and SWOSU go a hit from Faddis in the bottom of the ninth before going to extra innings.
Hilton struck out Aaron Blair to lead off the 10th but an infield single by Josh Day and a single from Matt Cole got the Buffs in scoring position before an intentional walk loaded the bases. That was enough for WT to get a sacrifice fly to take their final lead. Perez singled up the middle with one out in the 10th but two straight fielder's choice plays got Bulldogs out at second base and ended the game.
Wagner led the Bulldogs offense with three hits and one RBI while Barton had three RBI on two hits. Perez, Hold and Faddis also had two-hit games as eight of the nine Bulldogs in the lineup recorded at least one hit in the game.
Hilton (0-1) took the loss after being efficient by allowing just three hits and one earned run over 3.0 innings. McNaughton also pitched well for the Bulldogs, going 3.2 innings and surrendering just three hits and one run while working out of the first-inning jam.
SWOSU (2-5) drops their third one-run game to West Texas A&M (3-2), who sweeps the home-and-home series from the Bulldogs with the win. Next action for the Bulldogs comes this weekend as they welcome East Central to town for their first Great American Conference series of the season. First game of the set begins at 2:00 pm on Friday afternoon at the Athletic Complex.
