Southeastern Drops Series Opener vs. UAFS

DURANT, Okla. – Wesley Mithcell homered, doubled, and drove in four runs, but Southeastern surrendered 10 unanswered runs over the final four innings in a 19-8 loss on Friday evening versus Arkansas-Fort Smith in the series opener at Mike Metheny Field.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 1-4 to open the year with games two and three of the series slated for a Saturday afternoon doubleheader beginning at noon.
 
Ryan Kirk ed the offense with three hits, including a triple, while driving in a run.
 
Mitchell and Brady Evans each collected two hits with a home run and a double, while Coby Grimsley and Chase Keeton had two hits apiece, with Grimsley doubling.
 
Gage Dollins, Payton Poole, and Colton Sagely each added a hit as well.
 
Mitchell led the way with his four RBI, while Evans drove in two, with Keeton and Kirk plating one apiece.
 
Michael White got the start and take the loss after going 3.0 innings and allowing five runs on five hits with one strikeout.
 
Luke Johnson, Austin Hillebrandt, and Parker Pecina would follow and combine for two innings of work while allowing six runs, four of them earned, with seven hits and three walks.
 
Cody Pfeffer put together a 2.2 inning outing, striking out five and allowing three runs on four hits.
 
Brayden Phelps and Jordan Brown finished the contest, combining for five runs on five hits in 1.1 innings.
 
The Storm took the lead on Evans two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, but UAFS tied the game in the top of the second with a pair of runs.
 
Southeastern regained the lead on an RBI triple by Kirk in the bottom of the second, but again the Lions answered, this time putting up a three-run homer in the top of the third.
 
Mitchell doubled home a run in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit to 5-4.
 
UAFS put up two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth before a Mitchell three tun homer and a Keeton RBI single in the bottom of the fifth again closed the score to one run at 9-8.
 
The Lions followed with 10 runs over the final four innings to make the final score 19-8.