Box Score (html)
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Spring is in the air for the SWOSU Baseball team this week. Spring as in SWOSU senior left fielder
Jacob Spring, who homered and batted in five runs for the second time this week as the Dawgs took down Ouachita 7-6 in their series opener on Friday afternoon at Rab Rodgers Field.
The two team's played the first four frames scoreless before Ouachita broke through with two runs off SWOSU started
Jon Chidester in the bottom of the fifth inning. Despite having just four hits heading into the sixth, SWOSU's offense came alive in the sixth with three hits, none bigger than a three-run homer by Spring on the first pitch of his at-bat that gave the Dawgs their first lead at 3-2. An RBI single from
Justin Freeman would extend the lead to 4-2 at the end of the inning.
Chidester would work around a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth and exit at the start of the seventh, following another three-run inning by SWOSU in the top of the seventh.
Tanner Dearman tripled and scored on an RBI single from
Joshua Santos, who moved over to third on a hit by
Korbin Polston. Both players would come across to score as Spring stepped in and worked a long at-bat that concluded with a two-run double to left, leaving SWOSU with a 7-2 advantage after the frame.
Brett McNaughton came on in relief in the seventh inning and allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, but he worked around two other hits and kept Ouachita from doing any further damage. The Tigers then got three runs, all on solo blasts, in the eighth inning to get within one at 7-6.
Quinton Dougherty was called upon to get the final four outs and he did just that, picking up his second save of the season after allowing just one hit.
Spring was the star offensively with a 2-for-5 outing at the plate and five RBI, the exact same line he had in Tuesday's win over Oklahoma City. Dearman had three hits and scored twice in the game, while Santos and Freeman also had two hits apiece.
Chidester (6-3) got the win after dropping his last two starts. He allowed nine hits but just two earned runs in 6.0 innings that included eight strikeouts.
The victory improves SWOSU to 22-11 on the year and 14-6 in conference games. The Dawgs face Ouachita tomorrow at noon with a doubleheader to conclude the GAC series.
