Box Score
Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball had nine hits but left 14 runners on base in a series-opening 6-2 defeat against Harding on Friday afternoon at the Athletic Complex. The two teams will conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday.
Harding got going almost as soon as the game started, with a solo home run on the third pitch of the game to take a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs got a leadoff double from
Tanner Dearman in the bottom of the inning and he came in to score on a sacrifice fly by
Zach Barton as SWOSU answered the Bisons in the first frame.
What SWOSU didn't have on Friday was an answer for Harding's four runs over the next three innings that allowed the Bisons to remain in control throughout the game. It wasn't for lack of opportunity because the Dawgs stranded one runner in the second, left the bases loaded in the third and had two on at the end of the fourth inning. Barton was again responsible for the second run of the game with a single through the right side in the bottom of the third that scored
Korbin Polston.
From the fifth inning on, SWOSU continued to hit the ball hard but they were unlucky on a number of occasions with the placements of their hits.
Greg Bruno had a double in the fifth and
Jacob Spring doubled in the ninth for two of the three hits by the Dawgs over the final five innings.
Reigning GAC Pitcher of the Week
Jon Chidester was roughed up by the Bisons, who had ten hits and five runs of the SWOSU starter. Chidester falls to 7-4 on the year and he had just one strikeout in 5.1 innings, his second-shortest outing of the season.
Ben Schweinfurth allowed just two hits and one unearned run over the final 3.2 innings to close out the contest.
The defeat drops SWOSU to 27-13 on the year and 17-8 in league play heading into Saturday's noon doubleheader at the Athletic Complex.
