WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball trailed Adams State 4-0 through two innings in Friday's series opener before scoring a pair of crooked numbers in the third and fourth innings and sprinkling on insurance runs late. The Bulldogs went on to defeat ASU 10-7 to secure the first win of the season.
SWOSU forced Adams State to make plays by putting pressure on the defense and it paid off. Though no Bulldog hitter had more than one hit in the game, ASU committed seven errors in the game that caused obvious problems.
The Grizzlies got to SWOSU starting pitcher Matt Milner early, racking up five of the seven hits he allowed in those first two scoring innings. Milner (W, 1-1) settled in after the second inning though and delivered three additional innings in his second start of the season to earn the win. He struck out six and walked only one, while scattering seven hits total.
Down 4-0 in the third inning, the deficit was shrunk thanks to a Geoff Marlow two-RBI double hit past the left fielder despite a strong wind blowing in. Marlow would score later in the inning via a wild pitch that made the score 4-3.
SWOSU didn't waste time the following inning when they regained the lead for good. The offense put up five runs with three hits and also took advantage of two ASU errors in the process. Things got jump started by a leadoff double from Markus Coronado. After four innings, the Bulldogs were back on top 8-4.
Adams State managed single runs in the fifth, eighth, and ninth but never got the hit they needed to spoil SWOSU's home opener.
Things got hairy in the ninth inning when the Grizzlies loaded the bases with two outs and having already plated one run, but reliever Bryson Armstrong held firm and ended the game with a strikeout looking to kill the threat.
Armstrong came in for the ninth after three innings of relief from Ernesto Hidrogo whose only run allowed was unearned.
The SWOSU defense did commit a season high five errors themselves.
With the win, the Dawgs move to 1-3 on the year and will be right back to action on Saturday with a doubleheader against Adams State beginning at noon out at the SWOSU Athletic Complex.
