Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The SWOSU Baseball team treated the home crowd to a run-rule shortened victory on Wednesday afternoon, downing Central Oklahoma 14-1 in seven innings at the Athletic Complex. The victory avenges a Bulldog defeat from two weeks ago in Edmond.
Central Oklahoma scored the first run of the game on an RBI single in the top of the first inning, but that would be the lone time a Broncho rounded the bases. SWOSU scored five runs in both the second and fifth innings, adding three in the third and one in the sixth to end things early.
All five of SWOSU's runs in the second inning were unearned after a fielding error by UCO allowed
Jacob Spring to score and extend the inning. The extension led to
Tanner Dearman stepping to the plate with the bases loaded and sending a shot into right field that was misplayed by UCO and turned into an inside the park home run due to the hustle of SWOSU's designated hitter.
Spring was back up early in the third inning and the reigning GAC Player of the Week sent his second home run of the season over the right center fence. UCO then walked the Bulldogs next two batter,
Zach Barton and
Joel Baxley, who both came in to score on a wild pitch and RBI single from
CJ Faddis.
The Bulldogs had an 8-1 lead after four innings, but they were still looking for more and they found what they were looking for in the bottom of the fifth. Dearman again came to the plate with the bases loaded and he drew an RBI walk before
Joshua Santos and Spring each had two RBI hits that pushed the lead up to 13-1 after five.
Patrick O'Toole tripled to lead off the sixth inning and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Faddis to account for the Dawgs final run.
Three SWOSU pitchers combined to allow just four hits and one earned run in the seven-inning affair.
Ben Schweifurth (1-0) earns his first win of the season after allowing three hits and striking out three in the first three innings.
Blake Gooden retired eight of the ten batters he faced with three strikeouts and
Lane Moore retired the Bronchos in order in the seventh to close things out.
"I couldn't be more proud of how the guys showed up and went about their business today, especially since they had to adapt with a change in the schedule," SWOSU Head Coach
Zack Saunders said. "We're really starting to understand our identity as a team and that's the biggest part, now I hope we can carry this momentum into the weekend."
SWOSU (7-5) now turns their attention back to conference action as they welcome Southeastern Oklahoma State to town on Friday and Saturday for a three-game series. First pitch on Friday will be at 2:00 pm from the Athletic Complex.
