WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The Bulldogs swept their rivals from up the road in Alva, Okla., on Tuesday afternoon in a Great American Conference doubleheader that gave SWOSU the 3-1 series victory. SWOSU combined for 27 runs on 28 hits as they won the first game 12-11 before earning their second run-rule victory of the season 15-4 in the second game of the afternoon. The Bulldogs had earlier split a doubleheader with the Rangers in Alva.
Game 1: SWOSU 12, NWOSU 11Box Score Despite an 8-1 lead after two innings, the Bulldogs had to fight through a Rangers' rally to earn their first victory of the game in walk-off fashion. SWOSU's
Adrienne Martinez and
Ashley Filer provided the opening salvos in the bottom of the first with a pair of 3-run bombs to take a quick 6-0 lead. Northwestern Oklahoma State managed to pull one back in the top of the second inning before Martinez collected her fourth RBI of the day with a single to left field that scored
Tori Hawk.
Ashley Dunigan followed that up with a triple down the right field line to bring Martinez home.
NWOSU ripped off seven unanswered runs before SWOSU was able to stop the bleeding in the bottom of the fifth as
Ashley Jones went yard for SWOSU's third home run of the day to regain a slim 9-8 lead. Northwestern battled back again with two runs in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the game. In the bottom of the fifth, however, SWOSU again had a rebuttal of their own as Filer cranked her second one of the afternoon to tie the game.
In the pivotal seventh inning, it was the Rangers who again scored a run to take the lead. With just three outs left, the Bulldogs entered the bottom of the seventh at the bottom of the lineup.
Kendall Smith managed to reach first on a single to the shortstop before
Kaitlyn Kromer came on as a pinch runner.
Taylor Eaves then laid down a sac bunt that moved Kromer to second. Hawk followed that up with a double to left field that brought Kromer to score and SWOSU found themselves with the tying and winning runs in scoring position with just one out.
Though SWOSU's leading hitter
Maci Brown was only able to reach on a walk, the Bulldogs would not have to wait long for their second win of the season over the Rangers. Martinez hit a sac fly to left field that brought in Kromer. NWOSU's Madison McGraw saw Hawk flying down the third baseline and tried to catch her out at home on the tag, but her throw was errant and Hawk scored the winning run.
Molly Vivo got the start in the circle and went 3.1 innings. Eaves earned her first win of the season after coming on in relief and pitched 1.2 innings with two strikeouts and only one hit. Martinez was SWOSU's offensive juggernaut, going 2-3 at the plate with two runs, a walk and five RBI.
Game 2: SWOSU 15, NWOSU 4 (5 Inn.)Box Score In the second game, SWOSU left no doubt about who would come away victorious after scoring 15 runs in the first two innings as
Courtney Miller got her first start in the circle of her collegiate career.
The Bulldogs piled on eight runs to open the game after holding NWOSU scoreless in the top of the first. Martinez opened the scoring after a muffed throw by Northwestern's Audrey Estes at home.
Samantha Perry then singled up the middle to drive in
Miranda McDonald.
Smith followed that up with a two-run RBI single to left center that plated Dunigan and Jones.
Makensy Payne then singled to reach and Perry scored after a throwing error by the Rangers.
Laken Cagle, making her second career start, earned her first collegiate hit for the Bulldogs up the middle to score Payne. By this point the Bulldogs had batted around and Martinez stepped up to hit a two-run jack-shot over left centerfield to complete the inning.
After an additional scoreless second inning by NWOSU, SWOSU went to work for an additional seven games to ensure the game was out of reach. Martinez opened the scoring for the Bulldogs, and she would end up being the SWOSU's final run of the game as she reached home off a Dunigan RBI-single to right field to make it 15-0. The Rangers would score four runs, including three unearned, but never threatened to make it a close game as the Bulldogs wrapped up the series victory.
Laura Wilson earned her second win of the season after relieving an injured Miller in the second inning, recording one strikeout and two runs on two hits. Martinez capped off her monster day with an additional three hits on four at-bats with three runs and three RBI. Every SWOSU batter recorded at least one hit in the game as SWOSU lit up the Rangers' pitching duo of Shelby Anderson and Erin Norrie for 15 hits in the run-rule victory.
"I'm really proud of the girls, we kept fighting," said head coach
Barbara Burnett. "We had girls step up in the circle and did their job well. It was a total team effort, and today we brought both offense and defense and were able to sweep our rivals. It's always a good day when you can beat Northwestern."
The victories give SWOSU their first series victory of the season against a GAC opponent. The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend for a four-game series against East Central in Ada, Okla., beginning Friday, April 10 at 2 pm.
