WEATHERFORD – A three-run eighth inning from East Central upended SWOSU Baseball in game one on Friday, as the Bulldogs fell to the Tigers 10-9 in the series opener.

The loss comes despite 15 hits from the Bulldog lineup – nine of those which went for extra bases including home runs from Bodi Wallar and Rusty Wortman.

ECU matched SWOSU's two home runs, including a two out grand slam in the second inning. They finished with 13 hits and five that went for extra bases.

Entering the eighth inning, the Bulldogs held a 9-7 lead. A leadoff double chased starting pitcher Josh Doelitsch from the mound and brought on Conner Watson from the bullpen. After a strikeout, four straight Tigers reached base safely including a pair of run scoring singles that eventually pushed the visitors ahead on the scoreboard.

Wallar doubled off the wall in the ninth, narrowly missing the game-tying hit, but SWOSU would eventually strand that runner 90 feet away to end the game.

Both teams had five-run frames in the game. ECU's thanks to the early grand slam that came following an RBI single. At the time, it answered a three-run opening frame from SWOSU and gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead. The Dawgs retook the lead in the fifth with a five-run spurt of their own. Four consecutive doubles put the Bulldogs back on top 6-5, followed by a two-run home run from Wortman to cap the inning off.

ECU answered back in the sixth with two runs and finally overtook SWOSU in the eighth.    

Gage Gaunt and Wallar each had three hits in the contest and finished 3-for-5. Gaunt tripled and doubled. Wallar hit his team leading sixth home run and doubled twice.

Doelitsch (7.0 IP) was handed a no decision in his longest outing so far this season. Watson picked up the loss in relief. Jackson Blue recorded the game's final four outs and did not allow a run.

SWOSU will look to shake the loss off and win the series Saturday (March 29) with the doubleheader portion of the series set to begin at noon in Weatherford.