Storm Sweep Saturday in Grand Fashion

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern started its afternoon by piling on runs early and hanging on for a 9-7 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader and closed it out in grand fashion as Hayden Evans connected on a pinch-hit, walk off grand slam to take the finale 11-8 and pick up the series victory at Mike Metheny Field.
 
The Saturday sweep lifts the Savage Storm to 13-13 overall on the season and moves them to 9-12 in Great American Conference play.
 
After taking an early lead in game two on Saturday, SE found itself down 8-6 heading to the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
Richard Ware would connect on a one-out single deflected off the pitcher.
 
SWOSU would change pitchers to their closer who just the day before picked up the win after tossing 3.0 shutout innings against the Storm.
 
Ware then moved up to second when Slayde Ortiz singled on a ball that was nearly caught by the shortstop before both runners reached safely.
 
Aaron Herrera followed with a single through the right side to load the bases.
 
Blake McQuain would pinch-hit and live up to his reputation in the role with an RBI single, plating Ware and closing the gap to 8-7.
 
Evans would follow with an opposite field shot that cleared the left field wall just fair, igniting a celebration at home plate as SE would take the series with the 11-8 win.
 
The Storm opened the contest with a four-run first inning thanks to a RBI singles by Ware and Herrera and a pair of run-scoring wild pitches.
 
SWOSU would chip away with a run in the second and another in the fourth before a Herrera solo homer, followed by Rylee Holmes scoring on an error, stretched the lead to 6-2.
 
The Bulldogs answered with a four-run inning of their own followed by a pair of runs in the sixth to set the stage for the Storm rally in the seventh.
 
Herrera finished the contest 4-for-4 with a home run and a pair of RBI, while Ware added a pair of hits and drove in one.
 
Joseph Ramirez, Colton Buckner, Ortiz, McQuain, Dylan Herd, and Evans each finished with a hit.
 
Evans four RBI led the way, while McQuain added one.
 
Mason Whitmarsh got the start and tossed 4.0 innings, allowing five runs on four hits with five strikeouts in a no decision.
 
Jacob Bigham followed with an inning of work, allowing a run on a hit with one strikeout.
 
Kenneth Klier would come on to finish the game, earning the win after allowing a pair of runs on two hits with three K's in 2.0 innings pitched.
 
In the opener on Saturday, Ramirez, Seth Morrow, Buckner, and Reid Rice would each post a pair of hits, while Ware and Holmes added one apiece.
 
Rice and Holmes would each go yard, while Morrow, Ware, and Rice added a double each.
 
Rice and Holmes each finished with three RBI, while Buckner plated two and Ware drove in one.
 
Tyler Dean got the start and picked up the win after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits with four strikeouts.
 
Coby Langford would come on in relief and throw the remaining 4.0 innings, allowing a run on a hit with five strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.
 
SWOSU would pick up a run in the top of the first to open the game, and the Storm would answer in the bottom of the second with a two-run homer by Rice to go up 2-1.
 
The Bulldogs would tie the game with an RBI double in the top of the third, but Southeastern would explode for six runs in the bottom half of the third inning.
 
It started with a walk, a single and a walk to load the bases before Buckner drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle.
 
Another walk would load the bases again before a Ware sac fly would extend the lead to 5-2.
 
Holmes would then end the scoring in the inning with a three run shot to left field, pushing the advantage out to 8-2.
 
SWOSU would answer with a run in the third and three more in the fourth to close the gap to 8-6.
 
A Rice RBI double in the bottom of the fifth would score Ware and add a bit of insurance to the SE lead.
 
The Bulldogs would get a leadoff homer in the top of the ninth to cut the Storm lead to 9-7, but Langford would coax the two-hole hitter to fly out to left before striking out the three and four hole hitters back-to-back to end the game with a 9-7 Storm win.