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DURANT, Okla. – SWOSU Softball earned their first victory of the season Saturday, splitting with Southeastern in the final pair of games in the series. The Bulldogs fell 8-5 in game one before claiming a 5-4 victory in the series finale for their first win of the season.
 
The Dawgs will continue on the road next weekend when they travel to face No. 7 Southern Arkansas in another four-game GAC series.  
 
Game One
Southeastern 8, SWOSU 5
Box Score (html)
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning after collecting five hits in the frame – four of which went for extra bases. SWOSU held Southeastern scoreless behind solid pitching from Rileigh Ricken and defense, but a five-run frame in the fifth inning gave the Savage Storm the lead at 5-4 following the big inning.
 
Ricken immediately knotted the game back up with a solo shot home run the following half inning, but it was SE who delivered the final blow in their half of the sixth when they regained their lead for good with back-to-back-to-back home runs.
 
Ricken (L, 0-7) also got the start in the circle and pitched a competitive game, striking out three and scattering seven hits in 5.1 innings of work. Kaytlin Donaldson came in relief and threw the final two outs of the sixth inning.
 
Offensively, Kinsey Skroh, Allyson Gafford, Jacquelyn Lovelace, and Ricken all notched a pair of hits each.
 
Game Two  
SWOSU 5, Southeastern 4
Box Score (html)
 
Trailing 4-3 and down to their final out in the top of the seventh inning, Rileigh Ricken stepped in the box and delivered a clutch two-run home run that gave SWOSU the lead. Southeastern made things interesting in the bottom half of the seventh inning, but it was the Bulldogs that came away with the game two victory.
 
SWOSU trailed 2-0 after the first inning and 3-1 after three complete innings before tying the game back up at 3-3 in the fourth. The Savage Storm took the lead in the sixth inning off of a wild pitch, but the resilient Bulldogs would not go away and scored the go-ahead runs to answer the lead change an inning later.   
 
The bats were working in the final game, as the Dawgs outhit Southeastern 13-11 including Hannah Morris and Allyson Gafford who each notched three hits in the contest.
 
Miranda Grover got the start in the circle and went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs (one earned) before Sidney Kirk came on in relief. Kirk (W, 1-6) threw 1.1 innings and held Southeastern scoreless.