Savage Storm Finish Off Sweep of ECU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern pitching allowed just three hits over two games as the Savage Storm collected a pair of wins over East Central, taking game one 3-1 and game two 5-4, to sweep the season-opening non-conference series at Mike Metheny Field.
 
The wins lift SE to 3-0 to start the season as the team will remain home next weekend to host Northwest Missouri State on Feb. 12-13 for two games before welcoming Washburn in for two games on Feb. 14-15.
 
In game one Sunday, Slayde Ortiz, Seth Morrow, Reid Rice, Rylee Holmes, and Dylan Herd each collected a hit.
 
Morrow made the most noise with his, connecting on a solo homer, his and the team's first of the season.
 
Herd and Ortiz each added an RBI as well.
 
Tyler Dean got the start on the hill and tossed 4.0 innings, allowing a run on a hit with two strikeouts.
 
Jacob Bigham came on in relief and tossed the final 3.0 innings, facing the minimum nine batters and striking out three to pick up his first win of the season.
 
The Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a bases loaded walk in the top of the first, but Southeastern had an answer when Morrow connected on a no-doubter over the right field wall to knot the game at 1-1 after one inning.
 
After four and a half scoreless innings, Herd put SE in front with an RBI single to plate Reid Rice to take the lead at 2-1.
 
One batter later Ortiz would tack on another run with a single up the middle to drive in Rylie Blanton and take a 3-1 lead.
 
Bigham would retire the side in the top of the ninth to polish off the 3-1 win.
 
In the series finale, Mason Whitmarsh got the start and pickled up the win after tossing 4.0 hitless innings while striking out five.
 
Dylan Turner tossed 1.1 in relief and allowed four runs on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
Coby Langfor would come on to finish the sixth, retiring both batters he faced.
 
Logan Teske then came on to close out the game and picked up his first save of the season in an inning of work.
 
At the plate, Buckner, Bryce McDermott, and Herd each collected two hits. Ortiz and Morrow tacked on one apiece.
 
Ortiz, Holmes, Morrow, and Herd each registered an RBI.
 
The Storm took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning, with Herd coming home on a Holmes sac fly for the first run before Ortiz scored on a Morrow fielder's choice when the Tiger pitcher threw wide of third, allowing him to score the second run of the inning.
 
Herd would start another rally in the fourth inning with an RBI double that scored Bryce McDermott.
 
He would score himself a batter later on an RBI single by Ortiz to push the lead to 4-0.
 
Morrow would round out the scoring in the inning with an RBI single that brought home Ortiz for a 5-0 lead after four innings.
 
ECU would pick up four runs on a pair of hits in the top of the sixth inning, taking advantage of three walks in the inning to close the gap to 5-4.
 
However, Teske would come on and after allowing a leadoff walk, coaxed a double-play after fielding a sac bunt attempt and getting out of the inning with the save and the 5-4 win.