Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Bulldog Baseball scored eight of their nine runs in just two innings and went on to defeat Harding 9-5 on Monday in the final game of the three-game conference series. SWOSU has now notched two consecutive GAC series victories to start the season and improves to 8-5 on the year and 5-1 in league action.
Despite being outhit by the Bisons 13-10 on the scoreboard, SWOSU starting pitcher
Cooper Cantwell pitched around his mistakes and allowed four runs in his outing to keep the Dawgs in the ballgame.
Meanwhile the offense provided Cantwell with bulk run support in just a pair of innings – first in the third inning when SWOSU plated five runs on four hits. Trailing 2-0 to begin the frame,
Bryan Miranda knotted the game up at 2-2 when he hit a two-run home run to opposite left center field. The Bulldogs then took the lead on an executed first and third base running play and tacked on two more runs courtesy of a
Rogelio Sanchez triple (his second in as many days) and a wild pitch. After three innings, SWOSU led 5-2.
The score remained the same until the home half of the fifth when
Connor Duer delivered a two-out, two RBI single up the middle to extend SWOSU's lead. Miranda then kept things going with a hit of his own, bringing in another run to make it 8-2, but
Marion McLean was thrown out at third trying to go first to third to end the inning.
After Harding hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to get within four runs, the Bisons continued to threaten with runners on the corners and two outs when
Gabe Jacobo relieved Cantwell from the bullpen. Jacobo shut down the HU momentum by striking out the pinch hitter he faced to eliminate the threat.
Harding would get one run in the ninth off of Jacobo, but thanks to the insurance run SWOSU plated in the inning prior the Dawgs had plenty of room to wiggle. The Bulldog reliever collected his three outs around a pair of hits in the frame to earn his team the victory.
Miranda and McLean led the offense on Monday with a pair of hits each and accounted for three of the nine runs scored on the day. Cantwell (W, 2-0) struck out nine in his 6.1 innings of work before Jacobo pitched the final 2.1 innings and struck out four Bisons himself.
SWOSU will have a quick turnaround when they host Central Oklahoma tomorrow (Feb. 27) out at the Athletic Complex for a single nine-inning non-conference matchup with the Bronchos.
