Baseball Powers to Sweep at SNU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern racked up 19 runs on 27 hits over two games en route sweeping a twinbill at Southern Nazarene 13-8 and 6-3, sweeping the series in the process in Bethany, Okla.
 
The wins lift the Savage Storm to 19-17 overall and 14-7 in Great American Conference play, moving SE into a tie for second place in the league standings with its upcoming opponent Oklahoma Baptist.  The two will play a three-game series April 8-9 at The Ballpark in Durant.
 
The Southeastern offense exploded for 10 runs in the sixth inning of game one to effectively put the game out of reach, led by a 3-for-5 effort from Ty Hanson who tied the NCAA record for home runs in an inning with two, connecting on a three-run homer on his first trip in the sixth and adding a grand slam on his second at bat for a total of seven RBI in the inning and the game.
 
Corban Taylor also added a three-hit outing in the game, while Dylan Helms, Kaleb Thomas and Brandon Grimsley added two hits each.
 
Grimsley drove in a pair of runs, while Thomas, Logan Terwilliger, and Connor Counce added an RBI each, with Counce's coming on a solo homer.
 
Matt Benedict collected the win in 6.0 innings pitched while allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
 
Michael Brinska was tagged for five runs on five hits without recording an out, while Scott Brinkley was hit for a run on three hits in one-third of an inning before Brady Colbert came on to collect his eighth save by tossing the final 2.2 innings while allowing just one hit and striking out two.
 
The Crimson Storm opened up a 2-0 lead in the first, but SE chipped away with Bryson Allen scoring on a throwing error in the third and Terwilliger driving Helms on a sac fly in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2.
 
The offense got moving in the sixth, first with Hanson connecting on a three run homer to stretch the lead out to 5-2.
 
Later in the inning Thomas would single home Tim Hunter to make the score 6-2.
 
Then with two outs in the inning and two runners on Grimsley would drive in a pair on a single to open up an 8-2 lead.
 
Greg Husnander would followed with a hit-by-pitch and Taylor would load the bases with an infield single to set up Hanson for his second home runs of the inning, this one a grand slam that lifted the score to 12-2.
 
SNU would answer though with a six run seventh inning, but Colbert would come on to record the final two outs with a pair of runners on to leave SE up 12-8.
 
A Counce solo homer in the ninth would provide and insurance run and the final score of 13-8.
 
A pair of first inning home runs got the Storm moving in the nightcap, with Helms leading off the game with a solo shot before Grimsley connected on a two-out solo homer to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Allen would reach on a fielder's choice and drive in a run in the fourth, followed by an RBI single by Helms which made it a 4-0 lead.
 
Grimsley's second homer of the game came in the fifth and stretched the lead to 5-0.
 
The Crimson Storm would get three runs back in the bottom of the fifth, but a Kaleb Thomas home run in the sixth would help insure a 6-3 SE victory.
 
Helms, Thomas, Terwilliger, Grimsley and Husnander each collected two hits as the top five spots in the lineup went 10-for-20.
 
Helms and Grimsley each drove in a pair of runs, while Thomas and Allen added an RBI each.
 
The Storm hit four home runs in the game, finishing the double-header and the weekend with seven.
 
Mike Wade got the start and picked up his fourth win as he allowed three runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched.
 
Bryce Clemons picked up the save after tossing the final 2.1 innings and scattering two hits.