Baseball Sweeps Southeastern

March 30, 2009

DURANT, Okla. - Southwestern Oklahoma State University put itself in excellent position for landing a future berth in the Lone Star Conference Tournament by sweeping Southeastern Oklahoma State University in a four-game baseball series completed Monday in Durant.

The Bulldogs won by scores of 8-0, 9-7, 4-2 and 11-9 and upped their overall record to 23-13 and 17-11 in LSC play. SWOSU has broke from a jumbled pack and stand alone in fourth place in the league standings. The top six teams qualify for the LSC Tournament scheduled to begin in May in Abilene, Texas. The tournament winner will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.

In the 8-0 opener on Sunday, Aldemar Betrian pitched a five-hit shutout and raised his record to 3-1 on the year. Betrian struckout six and walked two while only allowing one runner past second base.

Bow Buckner was the offensive star for the Bulldogs collecting three hits and driving in two runs. The Bulldogs scored twice in the first and were aided by a pair of errors in the fifth to score three unearned runs.

SWOSU put the game out of reach in the seventh with three more runs, two of which came on an RBI single by Buckner.

The Bulldogs had to wait until Monday to collect their second win as it was suspended prior to the ninth inning with SWOSU leading 9-7. Kevin Hyde retired the Savage Storm in the ninth without a run to save the game and allow Adam Phillips to earn his first win at SWOSU.

Phillips pitched five and one-third innings and allowed no runs while scattering five hits. He struck out five batters and walked none. Phillips has now pitched 10 and one-third consecutive innings in relief without allowing a run.

The Bulldogs tied it at 7-7 thanks to a six-run fifth inning. Kenny Hare and Travis Rose each drove in a pair of runs with extra base hits. SWOSU went ahead 9-7 in the eighth inning when Rose drove in Morgan Marr and Jon-Andrew Martin with a two-out double.

In game three, SWOSU won in its last at bat. Trailing 2-1, Rose again delivered with a two-out single that drove in two runs to put the Bulldogs back on top. SWOSU had tied the game at 2-2 earlier in the seventh inning when Ricky Kirby blasted a solo home run.

Hyde got the win as he pitched the entire game to improve his record to 3-3.

In the final game, SWOSU carried an 11-2 lead into the ninth before  Chris Morrison gave way to reliever Ty Pool. Morrison who had limited the Savage Storm to just two runs through eight innings allowed five in the ninth as Southeastern crept closer to make the final 11-9. Pool got the final two outs as Southeastern had the tying run reach base.

At the plate, SWOSU was led by Kirby who went three-for-five with two RBI's. Nelson Espinal, Blake Mounce and Marr each had two hits for the Bulldogs who ended the game with 12 against four different SOSU pitchers.

SWOSU will next play Friday as it hosts Eastern New Mexico in a four-game series in Weatherford.