Baseball Beaten by Emporia

February 10, 2009

WEATHERFORD, Okla. - Southwestern Oklahoma State University's new-look baseball team had its moments but were unable to match the hot hitting of nationally-ranked Emporia State, losing 19-9 Tuesday in Weatherford.

The loss ended what had been a four-game winning streak for the Bulldogs and put their overall season record at 4-2. SWOSU will next play a four-game series at Lone Star Conference pre-season favorite Abilene Christian beginning Friday in Abilene, Texas.

Emporia State which entered the game as the nation's eighth-ranked baseball team showed why as they collected 20 hits against seven different Bulldog pitchers. The game was the season opener for the Hornets.

Morgan Marr collected three of SWOSU's 10 hits as a team while Travis Rose and Blake Mounce each homered in the game.

Emporia took a 9-0 lead before SWOSU got on the board when Mounce blasted a three-run homer in the fifth.  The Bulldogs scored four in the fifth and chopped the Hornets lead to 9-4.

ESU then answered with a seven-run sixth inning that put the game out of reach at 16-4.

Rafe Alvarez was SWOSU's most effective pitcher, working the final two and two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run. He yielded just two hits and struck out two batters.