RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Despite racking up 18 hits, SWOSU Baseball came up short in an extra-inning shootout as three straight free passes in the 10th inning allowed Arkansas Tech to walk off the Dawgs, 16-15, in a high-scoring thriller.
Runs were easy to come by early, with 23 total runs scored in the opening four innings. The game was 9-8 in favor of the Bulldogs after just two, as the Dawgs' bats stayed hot to begin the day, collecting 10 hits in the first two innings.
After Tech held a 12-11 advantage through four, the Dawgs scored in both the fifth and seventh innings, plating two runs in the seventh, while the Wonder Boys added a single run in the sixth and another in the eighth.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth and runners on second and third, SWOSU had to complete a rundown on the runner at third to record the second out of the inning. Kirby Jenkins, who hit a bomb to tie the game at 14-14 in the eighth, then flew out to center to send the game into extras. The ninth inning was the only inning in which no runs were scored.
The Dawgs got on the board in the 10th after
Nolan McCrossin reached second thanks to a hit by pitch and a wild pitch before
Keaton Fisher singled to bring him home and give SWOSU a 15-14 lead heading into the bottom of the frame. The Wonder Boys tied the game in the bottom half after a double down the left-field line brought in the runner from first, as the throw was just not in time. After the bases were loaded following a four-pitch walk,
Kaegan Baker walked the final batter on a full count to end the game, 16-15, in favor of Arkansas Tech.
The 15 runs scored by the Dawgs is the most in a loss since 2024, against Northwestern. Tech finished with 17 hits in the contest. Both teams stranded 10 on base.
Fisher had a team-high four hits with four RBIs and two doubles. Both
Landon Meyer and
Kotaro Wakui added three hits each.
John Spoto hit the only home run of the game for the Dawgs to open the second inning, his third bomb of the year.
Baker (L, 1-2) pitched 2.1 innings, allowing four hits and three runs, all earned. He walked two batters and hit three.
The Bulldogs (8-4, 1-2 GAC) have a quick turnaround as they go to Durant tomorrow to face the Savage Storm in a midweek non-conference game before hosting Harding this weekend in Weatherford.
