WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Baseball had a slow start to Friday's opening game against Southeastern, but eventually came alive to score nine unanswered runs in a 9-2 win.

The game was broken open in the eighth inning after the Bulldog bats put up five runs which turned a 4-2 margin into the 9-2 final score.

Southeastern scored single runs in the first and fifth innings. SWOSU starting pitcher Zane Leonard did a good job limiting the Storm offense despite allowing six hits in 4.1 innings of work. He exited in the fifth inning and kept the Dawgs in the game while the offense found its rhythm.

The offensive output came in the bottom of the fifth. After Southeastern tripled and finally chased Leonard from the game, they scored their second run on a fielder's choice to go up 2-0. In the half inning right after, SWOSU took the lead with three runs after loading the bases with no outs. Marco Barrera delivered a two-RBI single and a wild pitch allowed the go-ahead run to cross two batters later.

Now 3-2, Geoff Marlow homered in the seventh before the five-run eighth put the game to bed. RBIs in the eighth came from Barrera again, Markus Coronado, and Jackson Syring.

While SWOSU was scoring, Grant Ewy (W, 1-0) was putting up zeros on the scoreboard in relief. He threw 3.2 innings and struck out five without allowing a hit. Ty Eastwood entered in the ninth to close things out in what was going to be a save opportunity before the five runs spoiled that chance.  

Barrera finished 3-4 to lead the lineup and had four RBIs. He's now had three straight multi-hit games. Coronado was 3-3 with a pair of runs scored.

The win pushes SWOSU to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in GAC play. They'll seek the first series victory of the season tomorrow when the doubleheader begins at noon in Weatherford.