Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball fell 9-5 to Southern Arkansas in the opening game of the GAC series on Friday. The Bulldogs trailed 5-0 after the top of the fifth inning and never managed to dig themselves completely out of the hole.
Cooper Cantwell (L, 3-2) cruised through his first three innings on the mound for SWOSU before eventually surrendering a single run to SAU in the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles. It was the fifth inning that gave him trouble after the Muleriders plated four runs – all with two outs – which included a three-run home run.
Trailing 5-0, SWOSU got one run back in the home half of the fifth after
Chase Duncan doubled down the line and
Bryan Miranda drove him home a batter later.
The Bulldogs then got within one run in the sixth inning after scoring three runs on four hits in the frame and after six complete innings, were within striking distance down just 5-4 before SAU responded.
Southern Arkansas had already scored one run in the seventh inning before a costly error extended the inning and proved to be disastrous. A ground ball to first base and a flip to the pitcher covering with two outs should have gotten SWOSU out of the inning, but instead a bobbled ball continued the inning and allowed the Muleriders to clear the bases (which were loaded) on a three-RBI triple that hit off of the fence shortly after.
The Bulldogs scored one more run in the bottom half of the seventh, but couldn't conjure any more offense the rest of the way after going quietly in the eighth in the ninth.
Daniel Richardson and
Jason Nichols both tallied a pair of hits each to lead SWOSU at the bat on Friday and
Justin Moreno pitched 2.0 innings of scoreless relief in the backend of the game. Cantwell suffered his second consecutive loss on the mound, but struck out eight SAU hitters (one-off his season high) in 6.1 innings of work.
SWOSU (14-10, 9-4 GAC) will play the Muleriders two more times tomorrow in the doubleheader portion of the series set to begin at noon in Weatherford.
