GEORGETOWN – Southwestern University exploded in the second game of a double-header against Texas Lutheran to earn a split and win the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series with a 10-4 win after falling 2-0 in the first game.
Proving that the Pirates are not just looking to play spoiler as the conference schedule turns to the second half, but that they are ready to make some noise in the final month of the season.
Southwestern exploded offensively for eight run in the fifth inning of game two to take a 10-4 win behind solid pitching from Jacob Kendra and reliever Matt Litz. Kendra scattered seven hits over 6.1 innings to improve to 3-1 on the year adding one strikeout.
Litz entered in the seventh with the bases loaded and worked out of a one out jam pitching the final 2.2 innings for his first save of the season. He allowed just one hit over the final three frames while walking none and striking out a pair of Bulldogs.
Both pitchers cruised through the first four and a half innings before the Pirates loaded the bases with three base hits from Jake Pawelek, Tyler Bludau and Ben Little. All three Pirates would score when Clayton Spark belted a bases clearing triple down the right field line to start the one out rally.
Just one batter later, Colten Shea scored Sparks with an RBI single as he scored two batters later. Will Cates picked up two RBIs on his only hit of the day scoring Shea and Charlie St. Clair to push the lead to 6-0.
Southwestern kept going as Will Burks single home Zach Lynch who reached on a walk before a delayed steal allowed Cates to score giving the Pirates seven runs in the inning.
Texas Lutheran battled back scoring four runs on five hits in the top of the seventh with five hits and an error. However, Litz entered and after allowing a single to his first batter got the next Bulldog hitters as he retired the next five straight.
The Pirates added two more runs in the eighth inning on an RBI single from Shea and Lynch. Shea finished game two 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The first game of the afternoon set up the rubber match as TLU cruised behind a solid starting effort from Dwayne Snider. Snider was able to out-duel Pirate starter, Jason Stading, who earned the complete game loss.
Snider scattered five hits as he shutout the Pirate offense and recorded eight strikeouts with just one walk.
Burks finished 2-for-3 for the Pirates in the loss, but was left on base twice.
TLU scored one run in each of the first two innings as both pitchers settled in; however it proved to be enough as Southwestern was unable to pick up a run in the loss.
Southwestern wins its first series since April 7, 2012 when the Pirates took 2-of-3 from Trinity in a SCAC series at Rockwell Field. The Pirates have also won 3 of their last five games and are 5-7 at home.
The Pirates continue conference play next weekend as they travel to Austin College for a three-game series starting Friday in Sherman, Texas. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. as the two teams will finish with a double-header on Saturday.