SE Sports
Matt Thomas, Sports Information Director
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – A Jett Swigart grand slam highlighted a five-run eighth inning as Southeastern rallied for a 10-5 victory over Ouachita Baptist on Saturday afternoon, moving head coach Mike Methenyinto a tie atop the NCAA Division II all-time wins list.
The victory moves the Savage Storm to 6-17-1 on the season and 5-9 in Great American Conference play with a Sunday double-header slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
The win also moves Metheny’s win total to 1,314 which moves him into a tie with retired Armstrong State coach Joe Roberts. His career record currently sits at 1,314-667-3 which is good for a .662 winning percentage. He is also currently tied with Roberts for 19th on the all-time victories regardless of division list.
Micah Simmer led the Storm offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Cade Clay, Hunter Harrison and Brett Akins added two hits each.
Swigart’s four RBI led all hitters in the game, while Clay, Harrison, Akins, Luke Thomas and Simmer added one each.
Mike Wade got the start and lasted 4.2 innings, but was tagged for five runs on 12 hits with a pair of strikeouts.
He handed the ball to Michael Brinska who picked up the win after going 2.1 innings and allowing one baserunner while striking out three.
Brandon Wolski would finish the contest off with two innings of work while scattering two hits and striking out one.
It was the Tigers who jumped in front early with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to open up a 3-0 lead.
A Simmer single in the top of the fifth would plate Thomas and put the Storm on the board, with Swigart stealing home later in the inning before Simmer would score on a Clay RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.
The tie would not last long though as OBU picked up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead.
SE chipped away with a run in the sixth as Akins scored on a Thomas RBI single.
Akins would tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the eighth with a sac fly which scored Harrison.
Following the sac fly Ty Hanson and Thomas drew walks and Cameron Roberts connected on a pinch hit single to load the bases for Swigart who homer to left for his first home runs of the season and putting Southeastern ahead 9-5.
Harrison would score Clay with an RBI single in the top of the ninth for insurance to make the final tally 10-5 in favor of the Storm.