SE Splits Saturday Twinbill Versus SAU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern opened the day by picking up an 8-7 win in game one, but saw its rally come up short in the bottom of the seventh in game two to split Saturday's twinbill 9-7 at Mike Metheny Field.
 
The split moves the Savage Storm to 17-28 overall on the season with a 13-17 mark in Great American Conference play heading into a midweek matchup with Southern Nazarene on at 3 p.m. on April 22 in Bethany, Okla.
 
Wesley Mitchell, Nick Mueller, Payton Poole, and Ryan Kirk each logged a pair of hits in the contest, while Chase Keeton added one.
 
Mueller homered and doubled to lead the way and drove in five runs, while Keeton and Kirk each doubled, with Poole and Kirk drove in a run.
 
Colton Clawson got the start and collected the win after tossing 5.1 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
 
Austin Hillebrandt followed and allowed two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings, while Carson Abbott checked in next with 1.2 innings of work, allowing three runs on three hits.
 
Cody Pfeffer tossed the final two-thirds of an inning to collect the save without allowing a hit and striking out one.
 
In game one the Storm struck first with Kirk doubling home Thorp to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Kirk came home during the next at bat as an overthrow by the catcher to second base allowed him to move to third, and while trying to catch him there the centerfielder overthrew third base and allowed him to score.
 
SE loaded the base and Mueller brought home all three runners on a three-run double to push the lead to 5-0 before coming home himself on a Poole RBI single, taking a 6-0 lead after two innings.
 
SAU got two runs back in the top of the sixth, first on a solo homer followed by an RBI double, cutting the Storm lead to 6-2 midway through the sixth inning.
 
The Muleriders added two more in the top of the seventh on a two-run homer to right, closing the Storm advantage to 6-4.
 
Mueller tacked on a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to stretch the SE lead to 8-4.
 
Those extra runs would be key as the Muleriders rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to make the final 8-7.
 
In the finale, Brady Evans, Mitchell, and Thorp each had a pair of hits, while Colton Sagely, Kirk, and Carter Olson each logged a hit.
 
Evans, Mitchell, and Olson each homered, while Kirk added a double.
 
Daniel Collins got the start on the hill but suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
 
Tristan Mills followed with two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on a hit.
 
Parker Pecina, Tanner Carter, Ryan Rayss, and Ryan Farquharson combined to toss the final four innings without allowing a run and scattering three hits.
 
In the nightcap, SAU put up five in the second inning to open a lead, but Southeastern answered in the bottom half, scoring a run on a Thorp RBI single to make the score 5-1.
 
The Muleriders tacked on two runs in the third and two more in the fourth to mount a 9-1 lead.
 
Southeastern clawed three runs back in the fifth, first on an RBI groundout by Evans before adding two more on a Mitchell two-run homer to left field, closing the gap to 9-4.
 
The score remained 9-4 till the bottom of the seventh with Olson closing the gap on a two-run homer to right, scoring Sagely and cutting the deficit to 9-6.
 
Evans followed with a solo homer to creep closer at 9-7, but that is where the rally would end.