Box Score

Bethany, Okla. - The Southwest Baptist University baseball team opened up the 2017 on a strong note, taking down Southern Nazarene 25-4.

The Bearcats wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. After two Bearcats reached on walks, SBU took advantage of a SNU error to plate the first two runs of the day. Hunter Hisky then doubled home Nelson Muniz, who reached on the error, followed by a Jovany Urbieta two run homerun to give SBU a 5-0 lead after the first inning.

Chad Verduzco led the top of the second off with a double down the left field line, followed by a single to left field from Caleb Sneed and a hit batsman to load the bases. Clint Jack hit a two-rbi double to left field to put SBU on top 7-0, and the Bearcats tacked on another run off of an SNU wild pitch. Jack come home to score on another error, and another Hisky double plated Muniz to extend the Bearcat lead to 10-0. Two batters later Blake Hobbs blasted his first homerun of the season, a two-run shot to left center, to put the Bearcats on top 12-0 after two innings.

SBU continued to go to work in the top of the third. Sneed led the inning off with a walk, and after a fielder's choice, the Bearcats tacked on another run on another SNU error. SBU received back-to-back rbi doubles from Muniz and Hisky, followed by an rbi single from Urbieta to extend the Bearcat lead to 16-0. Southern Nazarene responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Bearcats tacked on three more in the fourth. Jack doubled down the left field line, scoring Chance Wolfe and Cody Massey, before a Muniz sacrifice fly gave the Bearcats a 19-2 lead.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth for SNU, Hobbs connected on his second homerun of the game, a solo shot to left field. Southern Nazarene answered the SBU run with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, giving the Bearcats a 20-3 lead heading into the sixth. With one out in the inning Muniz walked, Hisky singled through the left side, Urbieta walked, and an rbi fielder's choice from Hobbs gave SBU a 21-3 lead. SNU added a run in the bottom of the sixth before the Bearcats added five more in the seventh. Back-to-back SNU errors put two runners on for Jack who hit an rbi single to right field. Sean Murley then hit an rbi double down the field line, followed by two unearned runs off of SNU errors as the Bearcats would cruise to a 25-4 run rule victory.

SBU will conlude their series at Southern Nazarene on Saturday with a double-header, with the first game beginning at 12:00 p.m. from Bethany, Oklahoma.