WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The SWOSU Baseball opened the regular season this weekend with a three-game set against #10-ranked Southern Arkansas.
 
SWOSU (1-2, 1-2 GAC) returns to action on Monday, hosting Central Oklahoma at 2:00 pm from the Athletic Complex.
 
Game 1: SAU 15, SWOSU 6 – Box Score
 
SWOSU scored four runs on six hits in the second inning, taking a 4-2 lead, but it was short lived as Bulldog pitchers struggled with command and issues 16 walks that allowed the Muleriders to rack up 15 runs on just 10  hits. SAU scored in each of the final five frames, including five runs as they regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Bulldogs also showed some rust in the field, committing four errors which led to three unearned Mulerider runs.
 
Zach Baxley and Taylan Mullins-Ohm led the Bulldogs offensively, with each player going 4-for-5 at the plate and scoring twice. Alex Bedard and Brayden Whitchurch each had two hits and one RBI apiece, while Jason Begin and Ryan Dos Santos also had RBI in the game.
 
Haden Branch got the start on the mound but lasted just three innings before giving way to Rafael Perez-Guzman (0-1), who took the loss after walking four and allowing three runs in 0.1 innings. Vance Ferraro and Grant Ewy each gave 2.0+ innings to close out the contest.
 
Game 2: SAU 8, SWOSU 6 – Box Score
 
The Bulldogs jumped on SAU early in game two, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, but a combined six runs in the fourth and fifth innings put the advantage back on the Muleriders side. The game was postponed in the middle of the sixth inning on Friday night due to darkness, but resumed on Saturday afternoon prior to the series finale. SWOSU scored once in the top of the seventh inning, but got no closer as SAU's closer came on in relief.
 
SWOSU again out-hit the Muleriders, gaining a 10-5 advantage in the game, but three errors and eight walks again aided the visitors. Baxley had another multi-hit game, going 3-for-4 while Whitchurch also had two hits for the Dawgs.
 
Chris Goldston got the start, but was pulled in the third inning for Noah Chapin (0-1), who took the loss after allowing four runs on two hits in 2.0 innings of work.
 
Game 3: SWOSU 5, SAU 2 – Box Score
 
The series finale followed a different script, with SAU scoring in each of the first two innings before SWOSU clamped down and held the Muleriders off the scoreboard the rest of the day. SWOSU scored three runs in the fourth and one apiece in the seventh and eighth innings, making the most of their 10 hits while also capitalizing on a pair of SAU errors.
 
Nate Postlethwait (1-0) tossed six innings and allowed just one earned run on seven hits while striking out seven Muleriders. Carson Kress threw the next 1.2 innings before Ryan Hildner (1) picked up his first save with three strikeouts in the final 1.1 innings of action.
 
Drew White and Ryan Dos Santos had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs while all five RBI and runs scored came from different players.