WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Softball split with Oklahoma Baptist on Friday afternoon by winning game one in exciting fashion 3-2 before dropping the other end of the doubleheader 10-7. Both teams came into the day tied in the conference standings, but after the stalemate on Friday the Dawgs will head into Saturday looking to move past the Lady Bison.
The second doubleheader and conclusion of the series will begin at 1:00 pm on Saturday from the Athletic Complex.
Game One
SWOSU 3, Oklahoma Baptist 2
Box Score (html)
The Dawgs were walk-off winners in the opening game of the day, scoring one run in three of the final four innings to collect their three runs. SWOSU started the game with three hits in the first inning, but had nothing to show for it after stranding the bases loaded. The bats would go quiet until the fourth inning when the offense picked back up again.
Tori Hawk opened up the scoring in the bottom of the fourth, launching a solo shot to dead center to give SWOSU the first lead at 1-0. The Lady Bison answered immediately the next half inning with a one-run homerun themselves and knotted the score back up at 1-1. After trading runs in the sixth, the teams went to the seventh still tied at 2-2.
In the seventh, pitcher
Taylor Eaves was able to work out of a jam with two runners on by inducing a line-drive double play to hold OBU scoreless. In the bottom half,
Paige Bowler sparked the inning with a pinch hit single through the left side and the Dawgs were eventually able to load the bases with one out. A force out at the plate gave SWOSU one out remaining to cross the go-ahead and game-winning run.
Taya Haney stepped in the box and was able to work the bases-loaded walk to bring in the run from third and collect the unconventional RBI.
Eaves (W, 3-6) threw all 7.0 innings in the victory, striking out three. Despite five walks, she was able to pitch around them and scattered six Lady Bison hits in the contest while giving up two runs – only one earned. Hawk's homerun was her fifth dinger of the season, which leads all Bulldogs in the category.
Abigail Schade and
Kenedi Jackson both ended the game with two hits apiece to the lead squad.
Game Two
Oklahoma Baptist 10, SWOSU 7
Box Score (html)
After SWOSU took a 3-1 lead in the second inning, OBU scored five runs before the Dawgs could finally answer back to lead it 6-3 in the fifth. The resilient Dawgs fought back in the home half of the fifth however, scoring three runs on four-consecutive doubles by
Miranda West, Abigail Scahde,
Tori Hawk and
Sidney Kirk.
For the fourth-straight inning though, Oklahoma Baptist put runs up on the board in the sixth to answer the three-run fifth by the Dawgs and regain the lead at 8-6 from a two-run homerun to left center. OBU continued that streak of scoring into the seventh when they added two more runs of insurance and push the margin to 10-6. SWOSU made one final run at OBU with their three final outs but only came up with one run and stranded the tying run at the plate with runners on second and third to end it.
Haney (L, 3-9) was charged with the loss in the circle after giving up all 10 runs (nine earned) in the complete game. Kirk led the team with three hits including two doubles while Schade ended with a pair of hits to her credit.
