WEATHERFORD – Bulldog Baseball used balanced offensive production to overpower Southern Nazarene in the opening game of its weekend series, winning by run rule 16-6 on a windy afternoon at the SWOSU Athletic Complex.

The Dawgs have now gone 3-0 in GAC series opening games but have not been able to capitalize afterwards, losing the ensuing two games in each of the first three weekends they have played. They will look to change that trend tomorrow in their doubleheader with SNU, starting at 12:00 p.m. in Weatherford. 

SWOSU scored crooked numbers in five of the seven innings, including two in the bottom of the seventh to put the game away, as the Crimson Storm scored five runs in the fifth and sixth innings in hopes of extending the game.

The Bulldogs have now scored in the first inning in 15 of their 21 games as they put three on the board after one inning. After SNU got one back in the top of the second, the Dawgs scored the next eight runs over the following three innings to break the game open and push it into run-rule territory.

Although SWOSU led in hits by just three (15-12), they did their damage with plenty of extra-base hits. The Dawgs recorded 10 extra-base hits, including three doubles by Rusty Wortman, a triple by Kotaro Wakui, and a home run by John Spoto, his sixth of the year. SNU managed just four extra-base hits and one homer.

Josh Doelitsch (W, 2-1) earned the win, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing 10 hits and six runs, all earned, while striking out two. Conner Watson came in relief to pitch the final 1.2 innings, giving up two hits and striking out three.

Five Dawgs had multi-hit performances, with every player in the lineup recording at least one hit.