SWOSU baseball hosted their first home series against Northwest Missouri State University (The Bearcats) this past Sunday and Monday. They played a total of four games, two each day, and ended up in a 2-2 split. The wins for the Bulldogs were massive though as they ended in a run-rule in both games.
After taking a hard 3-2 loss in the opening game on Sunday, SWOSU bounced back and put up a run-rule to win the second game. They were able to come out swinging early and put up five runs in the first inning. It wasn’t the flashy homeruns that did this though; it was solid contact hitting. They found a rhythm and put up four singles in a row to score the first two runs of the game. That was when #33 Nolan McCrossin stepped up to the plate and hit a gap shot to score the two other runners on base, giving himself a stand-up double. This inning didn’t stop there; #5 Kellen Frizzell came up to the plate ready to go and got himself a single, scoring McCrossin. This is the type of hitting that wins you games, finding the gaps in the outfield and being aggressive on the bases. The flow of that is unbreakable.
This type of hitting continued all game, with another five-run inning in the third. This inning also gave the Bulldogs their first home run of the season by #18 John Spoto. The excitement from his teammates, the fans and him is all you can ask for in this sport. They work so hard and it pays off.
Going into the fourth, the Bearcats found some flow and put up four runs, but the Bulldogs answered back immediately with three runs of their own. Again, these hits were singles or doubles; they were working base-to-base to get the job done.
It wasn’t just the offense shining in this game, but the pitchers shut it down. #35 Jared Adams was the starting pitcher for the Bulldogs. He was able to work 3.2 innings and did not give up a run until the fourth. Then #28 Kael Shelite came in to relive Adams to help get them out of the inning. Shelite was able to shut the door on NWMSU momentum. #11 Josh Doelitsch was the closer for the Bulldogs. He came in the sixth and was able to get two strikeouts and a ground out. Into the seventh Doelitsch gave up a run, but it didn’t get further than that. He found himself two more strikeouts and a groundout.
This was an amazing game for the Bulldogs after taking a close loss. Finishing with a score of 15-5. They knew they still had two more games to play the next day but with that type of energy and good feeling they knew they could come back the next day and find another win.
Going into Monday, the Bulldogs took a tough loss in the first game again, 7-13. They then found a drive; they were not going to take another loss.
#31 Will David was the starting pitcher on the mound for SWOSU. He came out the first inning ready to shut it down, but NWMSU was able to get two across the board. David knew that his offense would have his back. The Bulldogs answered back with two runs of their own, not letting the Bearcats get far away from them again.
The Bulldogs knew that the Bearcats weren’t going down without a fight. In the top of the second inning, NWMSU found themselves getting another run across the plate. You could tell David had enough of the scoring, and he went to work. He shut them down, not allowing another run to score on his terms. He was able to strikeout two and let his defense get some action with a popout to end the inning. It was now time for SWOSU to push for a lead. They found a couple of gaps in the outfield and were able to get two runs across the plate before the Bearcats found some outs.
The third inning is where SWOSU broke free of the close game. David held the Bearcats with a quick three outs so his offense could get back to work. The Dawgs had found their flow again. This inning was filled with just hard-hit balls and solid base running to get them 6 six runs on the board. This gave SWOSU the lead they were looking for. #30 Sebastian Diaz then came in to relive David in the fifth inning. He was able to keep the momentum going for the Dawgs and got the outs they needed, and it was back to work for SWOSU.
Diaz continued pitching for the Dawgs into the sixth inning. He let one slip by and get across the plate, letting the Bearcats get another score on the board but nothing more. The Bulldogs were looking for a bigger lead. They were able to come out and push another four runs across the board and got a season first homerun by #7 Jose Mendoza. At this point, all the energy and momentum was on SWOSU’s side. Everyone on and off the field was enjoying this game. #14 Conner Watson then came in for the seventh inning to get the last out for the Dawgs, closing the game and securing the win for SWOSU 15-4.
Both wins for the Dawgs showed just how well they work together as a team. Everyone wants the same goal, and they are going to fight for it together. With this team being mostly new players, it can be hard in the being, but these Bulldogs came together right away. They know what each player is capable of, and they will push the limits.
SWOSU Baseball now will face Adams State University in a three-game series here in Weatherford this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The first game is set for 1 pm on Friday and the Bulldogs will take any support y’all can give. Go out and support you fellow Dawgs!
