WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Softball played a pair of close games on Friday against East Central, falling late in game one 6-5 before rebounding in the nightcap with a 3-2 win.
The teams will play the rubber match tomorrow at noon to decide the series.
GAME ONE – ECU 6, SWOSU 5
The Bulldogs were three outs away from stealing game one, despite being outhit 12-5 by the Tigers, after a three-run home run by
Jordyn Wadley had SWOSU ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
ECU responded though by plating three runs in the top of seventh to regain the lead and closed the game out in the bottom half to earn the win.
The game got tied up in the seventh on a very close ECU hit, a triple down the first base line, that was called fair. From there, the Tigers scored the go-ahead run and then added an insurance run.
Breanna Simmons homered in the bottom of the seventh, but that would be all SWOSU's offense could conjure.
Alisa Friesen (L, 4-10) pitched the entire way and struck out two, while only walking one. No Bulldogs posted more than one hit, but
Kaylee Barkley pinch hit in the sixth inning and delivered a double during SWOSU's best offensive spurt.
GAME TWO – SWOSU 3, ECU 2
ECU got the scoring going in the second game with a solo home run in the second inning.
An inning later,
Breanna Simmons put the Dawgs back on top with a two-RBI double.
Skye Tilley singled to start the inning, and
Jewell Lee got on board with a fielder's choice on an unsuccessful attempt at getting Tilley out at third base. Simmons then plated them both with her double to center field.
Both teams were scoreless until the fifth inning, when ECU hit another solo shot to tie the game up at 2-2.
Aleah Bozarth delivered the game-winning run in the sixth inning when she doubled to left field and scored
Kaylee Barkley who walked to lead things off.
Brianna Cryer went back into the circle in the seventh and completed her pitching performance with a scoreless final inning. Her final line ended as 7.0 innings pitched, seven hits allowed, and four strikeouts.
Three of SWOSU's four hits in the game were doubles.