WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball picked up a pair of crucial conference victories on Sunday, defeating Oklahoma Baptist twice after honoring the 12 senior members of the team prior to first pitch at the Athletic Complex
 
SWOSU (18-19, 14-12 GAC) and OBU will conclude the series on Monday with a single, nine-inning game beginning at 3:00 pm.
 
SWOSU 8, Oklahoma Baptist 5
Box Score
 
The Bulldogs scored in each of the first four innings and got a strong pitching outing from senior starter Cooper Cantwell to open up the series with a three-run victory over the Bison. SWOSU put two runs on the board in the first, followed by one apiece in the second and third innings before extending the lead to 6-0 with a two-run single from Brady Burtner in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
OBU got on the board with three runs on four hits in the seventh inning, but the Dawgs answered with two runs in the bottom half on an RBI single from Jacob Grady that was then thrown away by the Bison and led to another run scoring. With an 8-3 lead, Cantwell pushed ahead into the ninth inning before being replaced by Jesse Lee with runners on the corners and no outs. Lee faced just two batters and got a groundout and a double-play ball to end the game, earning his second save of the season in the process.
 
Cantwell (5-4) tossed 8.0 strong innings, allowing nine hits and five runs with five strikeouts to earn the victory. SWOSU finished with 12 hits in the game, getting three from Jacob Grady and two apiece from Sawyer Toole and Burtner.
 
SWOSU 9, Oklahoma Baptist 6
Box Score
 
The Bulldogs fell behind early in the second game, but scored in five-of-six innings and overcame the early deficit for a 9-6 victory. An error in the first inning led to a three-run home run by OBU, but SWOSU started the comeback with an RBI triple by Alex Bedard, who then scored on a sacrifice fly from Rafael Villela. OBU plated another run in the second before SWOSU got doubles from Chase Duncan and Jacob Grady followed by an RBI single from Brady Burtner to make it 4-3 after two complete.
 
SWOSU kept the Bison off the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the third inning, then took the lead with RBI singles from Duncan and Sawyer Toole. The back-and-forth affair continued in the fourth with a two-run home run putting the Bisons back on top, only until SWOSU was able to score three runs on two hits in the bottom half to go up 8-6. The Dawgs were only kept off the scoreboard in the fifth inning, but an RBI double from Villela scored Robert Perea for an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Tyler Tuck (6-2) picked up the win after allowing six hits and six runs – two earned – over 5.0 innings, while also striking out five and walking three. Jesse Lee allowed just one hit over the final two innings to earn his second save of the day, and third of the season.