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WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball bounced back quickly from a 4-0 defeat against Newman on Friday, defeating the Jets 5-1 in game two for a split in their home opener at the SWOSU Athletic Complex. The Bulldogs (2-4) will complete the three-game set against Newman on Saturday at noon.
 
"It's a tale of two games, but the consistent was our pitching today," SWOSU Head Coach Zack Saunders said. "You hate to lose a game after getting such a quality start from Jon Chidester, but it was good to see the guys respond and back up Gunnar Cook both offensively and defensively."
 
Newman 4, SWOSU 0
Box Score
 
A pitching battle through eight innings, SWOSU's defense let down in the ninth inning as the Bulldogs allowed four unearned runs and Newman broke the scoreless tie and earned the 4-0 victory. Jon Chidester was great on the mound for eight innings, allowing just three hits before walking the first batter of the ninth and giving way to Dillon Freie in relief.
 
Freie faced two batters, getting a groundout for the first out of the inning before Haden Houska was unable to squeeze an infield popup that would have been the second out. Blake Gooden then took the mound and hit the first batter he faced to load the bases. Gooden got Newman's next batter to hit a chopper, but he was unable to field it cleanly and the Jets pushed across their first run. A sacrifice fly by the next batter was close to a double play, but Justin Freeman was unable to squeeze the throw, allowing the Jets second run to score.
 
Two more unearned runs came across before the damage was done and SWOSU went in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game. The Bulldogs had four hits in the game, including two from Korbin Polson, but they left eight runners on base with one in each of the first five innings along with leaving the bases loaded in the sixth.
 
Chidester (1-1) took the loss despite not allowing an earned run and striking out five with three hits and three walks.
 
SWOSU 5, Newman 1
Box Score
 
Newman scored their lone run in the top of the first inning, but SWOSU scattered five runs over the next five innings and picked up the split for the day and their second victory of the season. Gunnar Cook (1-1) settled down and allowed just five hits and one earned run in 6.1 innings of work before Ben Schweifurth and Quinton Dougherty were called upon for one out apiece in the top of the seventh inning.
 
SWOSU got their bats going in the second inning with a triple from Jacob Spring getting things started. After Joel Baxley walked, Haden Houska pushed a squeeze bunt past the pitcher to bring Spring home and tie the game. Joshua Santos had an RBI fielder's choice in the inning and Tanner Dearman put a single through the right side to make it 3-1 after two innings.
 
The Bulldogs added one run apiece in the fourth and sixth, both unearned, as they ran the lead up to 5-1, which was plenty for the seven-inning affair. Santos went 1-for-4 with two RBI from the leadoff position while Dearman and Houska each added RBI and CJ Faddis scored twice.