SE Homers Not Enough to Hold off Rally

DURANT, Okla.  – Despite six extra base hits, three of which were home runs, Southeastern was not able to hold off a St. Edward's rally, falling on Tuesday afternoon 8-6 at The Ballpark in Durant.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 9-10 heading into a March 18 matchup with Oklahoma Baptist at 2 p.m., assuming the weather cooperates.
 
Cody Coats connected on a pair of solo home runs, while Brandon Grimsley added another, with Dylan Helms, Corban Taylor and Chance Burcham each adding doubles.
 
SE collected 10 hits in the game with Helms, Taylor, Coats and Burcham each posting two, while Grimsley and Greg Husnander added one apiece.
 
Mathew Benedict got the start and tossed 3.2 innings allowing a run on two hits before Nick Johnson came on in relief and allowed four runs on five hits in 1.2 innings pitched.
 
Logan Terwilliger threw 1.1 innings in relief and allowed a pair of runs on four hits and was saddled with the loss, his first, before Taylor closed out the game with 2.1 innings pitched, allowing a run on two hits.
 
A Taylor RBI single scored Helms in the first to give SE an early 1-0 lead, but a sac fly in the top of the second for the Hilltoppers would knot the game at 1-1.
 
Coats would regain the lead with a solo homer over the center field wall in the fourth, followed by Grimsley's solo homer and a Taylor RBI double in the fifth to open up a 4-1 lead.
 
However, a four-run sixth for SEU would leave the Storm in a 5-4 hole, but Coats' second homer of the day would knot the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Toppers would get a two-run homer in the seventh for a 7-5 edge, but SE would get a run back when Helms was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth.
 
SEU would add another run in the top of the ninth which would prove to be the final score at 8-6.