RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning to send the game to extras, but was unable to hold onto a two-run lead in the 11
th before ultimately falling at Arkansas Tech 13-9 in 12 innings on Friday night in Russellville, Ark.
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 9-11 overall on the season and 5-6 in Great American Conference play, while the Wonder Boys improve to 15-10 overall and 4-5 in league play.
The series will conclude on Saturday afternoon with a double-header set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
The Storm got a 7-for-11 effort form its one and two hole hitters in
Kaleb Thomas and
Dylan Helms en route to piling up 16 hits in the game.
Helms finished the night 4-for-5 with three RBI, while Thomas added a 3-for-6 outing with an RBI.
Collin Sefcik,
Jacob Soisson and
Brandon Grimsley each added a pair of hits.
Soisson drove in a pair of runs, while
Corban Taylor, Sefcik, and Grimsley each added one RBI.
Dylan Linke turned in 8.0 innings in a no decision, allowing seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts.
Brady Colbert came on in relief and was saddled with the loss after tossing 3.2 innings and allowing six runs on six hits with a pair of K's.
Southeastern opened up a 5-0 lead over the first three innings, first scoring on a Taylor RBI single in the first, followed by a Grimsley RBI single in the second.
A Sefcik single and a two-run Soisson double in the third opened up the 5-0 advantage for SE.
ATU would chip away though, with a run in the fourth and three in the fifth to close the Storm lead to 5-4.
The Wonder Boys would swipe the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to lead 7-5 with three outs left for SE.
However, Helms would double home a pinch-running
Brayon Colley and Thomas to knot the game at 7-7 which would send it to extras.
Southeastern looked to regain control with an RBI triple by Thomas in the 11
th, followed by an RBI double by Helms for a 9-7 lead.
ATU would answer though, first with an RBI single and then knotting the game at 9-9 with a two-out single to left to prolong the game.
After putting a pair of runners on but being unable to bring them home, ATU loaded the bases with two outs on three straight batters before their cleanup hitter connected on a game-ending grand slam to hand SE a 13-9 loss.
