Mitchell Drives in Five as Trayler Earns First Victory

EDMOND, Okla. – Wesley Mitchell drove in five runs to power Southeastern to a 10-9 win over Northeastern State on Monday, closing out the Edmond First Pitch Classic and earning head coach Alan Trayler his first career victory.
 
The win moves the Savage Storm to 1-2 on the season heading into a Wednesday, Feb. 5 rematch with NSU in the home opener at Mike Metheny Field.
 
Mitchell finished the contest with a pair of hits, including a grand slam, while driving in five runs on the day.
 
Antonio Crews added two hits as well, driving in one.
 
Brady Evans, Chase Keeton, Nick Mueller, Payton Poole, and Ryan Kirk each logged a hit, with Kirk adding a homer while Mueller and Crews each doubled.
 
Poole, Crews, and Kirk each finished with one RBI.
 
On the hill, Colton Clawson got the start and allowed a run on a hit with one strikeout over four innings of work, taking a no decision.
 
Gabe Massey tossed an inning in relief and was tagged for a run on four hits with one strikeout before handing the ball to Carson Abbott who allowed two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.
 
Brayden Phelps followed with two-thirds of an inning, striking out one without allowing a baserunner.
 
Coby Grimsley took the ball to start the seventh but was chased after allowing four unearned runs on four hits with two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.
 
Tanner Carter would finish the seventh and start the eighth inning, allowing one unearned in one-third of an inning.
 
Ausitn Hillebrandt stepped in to record all three outs in the eighth, striking out one without allowing a run on his way to earning the victory.
 
Ryan Rauss earned his first save of the year after retiring the side in order with one strikeout in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.
 
SE got off to a fast start, with Dollins reaching on an error followed by Evans and Keeton each drawing hit by pitches to load the bases for Mitchell who took full advantage with a grand slam to center to give the Storm a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
 
Kirk got on the home run bandwagon in the bottom of the second, connecting on a solo shot to center and extending the SE lead to 5-0.
 
That lead stretched to 6-0 in the bottom of the third inning when Payton Poole reached on an error which allowed Keeton to score from third.
 
The Riverhawks would swipe a run back in the top of the fourth as the Storm traded a run for an out, cutting the Southeastern lead to 6-1.
 
SE answered with a run in the bottom half of the fourth, with Kirk and Dollins each drawing walks and eventually setting up a double-steal opportunity to push the lead to 7-1 through four innings.
 
NSU cut into the Storm lead with an RBI single in the fifth inning, and adding two more in the top of the sixth, closing the edge to 7-4 midway through the sixth.
 
Evans led off the bottom half of the sixth with an infield single and came around to score on a Mitchell RBI single, and Southeastern would tack on one more run in the sixth when Poole plated Keeton to take a 9-4 lead after six complete.
 
NSU took advantage of an error and put together four hits in the top of the seventh, scoring four unearned runs to trim the Southeastern lead to 9-8 midway through seven innings.
 
The Riverhawks tied the game with a sac fly in the top of the eighth, but Crews connected on an RBI double in the bottom half to push SE back in front 10-9 which would hold up as the final after Rauss retired the side in order in the top of the ninth.