Baseball Splits Home Opener with UAFS

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern opened the home portion of its schedule with a double-header split, taking game one over Arkansas-Fort Smith 5-0 before dropping the second contest 4-1 on Tuesday afternoon at The Ballpark in Durant.
 
The Savage Storm move to 4-5 on the season heading into their first Great American Conference home series against Ouachita Baptist Feb. 21-22.
 
In the opener, six players each recorded a hit, while Chance Burcham, Trevor Bowen, Cody Coats and Jacob Carter each drove in runs.
 
Chevis Springer scored twice and stole two bases in addition to his hit, while Ryan Salter also added a pair of stolen bases.
 
Nick Johnson got the start and picked up the win after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing no runs on one hit with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Mason Crenshaw came on in relief and allowed two hits, but no runs, while striking out one over the final two innings.
 
SE got on the board first, taking advantage of an error in the second inning that allowed Springer to reach safely, and after stealing second and moving to third on a ground out, he scored on a wild pitch to make the score 1-0.
 
A Burcham sac fly in the third would plate Salter and double the lead to 2-0.
 
In the fourth, Jacob Soisson crossed when a Bowen ball was misplayed by the Lion shortstop, and that lead moved to 4-0 on the next batter when Coats hit a sac fly to center that allowed Springer to score.
 
The final run came in the sixth inning on a Carter RBI single that scored Coats from second.
 
SE took the first lead in the nightcap as well when Springer scored on a Coats fielder's choice in the second inning.
 
UAFS would tie the game in the third with an RBI single.
 
Both teams would put up goose eggs until the top of the seventh when the Lions took advantage of an error, a balk and three base hits to put up three runs and take a 4-1 lead which would hold to be the final score after the Storm went down in order in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Cade Clay, Collin Sefcik and Bowen each collected a hit, with Coats driving in the team's lone run.
 
Jaime Paxton got the start on the hill and tossed 4.0 innings, allowing a run on four hits with two strikeouts.
 
Mathew Benedict took over in relief and tossed 2.0 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on no hits and two walks, earning his first loss of the season.
 
Crenshaw then came on to toss the final inning after Bendict started it, allowing three hits but no runs.