WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Baseball and Northwest Missouri State split Sunday's opening-day doubleheader at the SWOSU Athletic Complex, as the Bearcats edged the Bulldogs 3-2 in the opener before SWOSU's bats erupted for a 15-5 run-rule victory in game two.
The two teams will conclude the series with another doubleheader Monday beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Weatherford.
Game One
NWMSU 3, SWOSU 2 (7 innings)
In the scheduled seven-inning opener, a string of two-out walks in the second inning proved costly for SWOSU starter
Drew Fifer. After recording two quick outs, Fifer issued three walks and hit a batter, allowing the Bearcats to capitalize with a two-RBI single that accounted for all three of their runs in the game.
Fifer worked into the fourth inning before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Garrett Folmer and
Conner Watson combined to throw 3.2 innings of scoreless relief to keep SWOSU within striking distance.
The Bulldogs struck first in the bottom of the first, as Kataro Wakui doubled and was quickly driven home by a
Zach Makarewich triple — one of two extra-base hits for Makarewich in the game.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth inning, SWOSU pushed across another run but left two runners stranded when the Bearcats' center fielder made a strong play on a well-hit ball off the bat of
Keaton Fisher with two outs, a ball that would have brought home both the tying and go-ahead runs.
Game Two
SWOSU 15, NWMSU 5 (7 innings)
SWOSU wasted no time bouncing back in the nightcap, striking first once again — this time with authority. The Bulldogs sent the first four hitters of the game aboard via consecutive singles, jumping out to a 2-0 lead.
Nolan McCrossin followed with a two-RBI double, and
Kellen Frizzell added a two-out RBI single to cap a five-run first inning.
Another five-run outburst followed in the third, highlighted by SWOSU's first home run of the season — a blast by
John Spoto that capped the scoring in the frame.
Northwest Missouri State made a push in the fourth, scoring four runs to trim the deficit to 10-4, but the Bulldogs answered immediately with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. SWOSU added two more in the sixth to surpass the run-rule threshold and close out the game early.
Four Bulldogs finished with three-hit performances, while McCrossin scored three times to go along with his RBI extra-base hit.
Jared Adams made his first start as a Bulldog, working 3.2 innings.
Kael Shelite earned the win in relief after tossing 1.1 innings, and
Josh Doelitsch closed the game with two innings of relief, striking out four.
