Baseball Drops Midweek Matchup Versus SNU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern collected 16 hits and jumped to an early lead, but would strand 16 runners over the afternoon as Southern Nazarene mounted a comeback and the Savage Storm fell in a non-conference midweek matchup 19-15 on Tuesday afternoon at Mike Metheny Field.
 
The loss drops the Savage Storm to 20-14 overall on the season heading into a three-game conference road series versus Southwestern Oklahoma State April 2-3 in Weatherford, Okla.
 
Carter Olson logged a 4-for-7 outing for the day with four RBI, while Villa posted a 3-for-5 effort with an RBI and three runs scored.
 
Easton Ford turned in a pair of hits, while Ryan Kirk, Isaac Shaw, JJ Bush, Austin Parker, Gage Dollins, Jax Heid, and Joseph Griswold each posted a hit.
 
Villa, Shaw, and Olson each doubled, while Bush and Olson added home runs.
 
In addition to Olson's four RBI, Griswold finished with two runs driven in, while Villa, Kirk, Shaw, Bush, Parker, and Ford each added one.
 
Colton Clawson got the start and took a no decision after allowing seven runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in five innings.
 
Chase Wernimont, David Brown, and Ryan Rauss combined tow work through the sixth inning.
 
Brayden Tambone worked the seventh, and Zach Andrews the eighth, with Andrews getting tagged for five runs on three hits, taking the loss.
 
Austin Hillebrandt logged the final inning, allowing a run on two hits.
 
Bush opened scoring for the contest in the bottom of the third inning with a solo homer to right.
 
SE would extend the lead to 2-0 later in the inning on a Ford RBI single that scored Olson.
 
That lead did not last long though as SNU picked up a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Southeastern responded in the bottom half of the inning breaking the tie with a pair of errors allowed Tyler Payton to come around and score from first on a failed pickoff attempt.
 
Villa pushed the lead to 4-2 by scoring on a wild pitch and two batter later Olson connected on a two-run homer to extend the lead to 6-2.
 
The Storm loaded the baes for Griswold who drew a walk to push the lead to 7-2 after four innings.
 
SNU picked up a run in the top of the fifth on a solo homer, but SE answered in the bottom half, starting with an Olson two-run single.
 
Heid pushed home a run on a double play later in the inning, making the lead 10-3 and a batter later Griswold drove in a run on a single to make the lead 11-3.
 
Kirk pushed home one final run in the fifth on an hit by pitch toi push the lead to 12-3 through five innings.
 
The lead dissipated in the sixth inning as SNU took advantage of six walks and a hit batsman along with four hits to put up eight runs, cutting the Storm lead to 12-11 after six.
 
The Crimson Storm added two more runs in the top of the seventh to take a 13-12 lead midway through the seventh inning.
 
Southeastern regained the lead in the bottom half of the seventh, tying the game on an RBI single from Villa followed by a go-ahead RBI double from Shaw to take a 14-13 lead.
 
SNU loaded the bases to open the top of the ninth and connected on a grand slam to take a 17-14 lead.
 
The Crimson Storm tacked on two more runs and extended their lead to 19-14 midway through the ninth.
 
Parker plated a run in the bottom of the ninth but that was where the rally ended with SE on the wrong end of a 19-15 final score.