Box Score
Bethany, Okla. – The 2019 SBU Baseball team opened their season on the road at Southern Nazarene University. The Savage Storm took game one of the three game series on Friday afternoon.
 
Dalton Morrow took the mound for the Bearcats in their season opener. Morrow's first out of the season was a swinging strikeout, picking up from his excellent performance in 2018. Things got a little hairy, but the Bearcats completed an unconventional 5-4-3-2 double play, getting a force out at second and hosing a runner trying to make it home.
 
The second inning was quiet for both teams. SBU got their offense going in the third, beginning the inning with a Trevor Lofstrom single. Sam Avila moved Lofstrom to scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Caleb Sneed then followed with a single through the right side, but the hit wouldn't score Lofstrom. After a strikeout, SBU loaded the bases with a two out walk, but the inning came to an end on a fielder's choice.
 
Morrow gave up his first hit in the bottom of the third, but nothing would amount to it. The next inning, the Savage Storm scored a run after a two out walk followed by a double. They scored another in the fifth, giving the home team a 2-0 lead.
 
In the sixth, Carl Schwettmann hit a single with two outs, but the inning quickly came to an end. Southwest Baptist kept SNU off the scoreboard in the bottom half of the sixth. An error by the Savage Storm sparked the SBU offense in the seventh. Brett Mitchell reached on an error by the third basemen, then Trevor Lofstrom singled to move Mitchell into scoring position. Caleb Sneed came up clutch with two outs, driving a single up the middle to score SBU's first run of the season. A hard lineout to the third baseman ended the inning.
 
Adam White replaced Morrow in the seventh, retiring the SNU batters in order. The Savage Storm plated two more in the eighth. With a runner on third and just one out, a fly ball was hit to Carl Schwettmann out in center field. The runner tagged up and attempted to score, but Schwettmann's rocket of a throw hosed the runner at the plate, keeping the score 4-1 in favor of the home team. The Bearcats were unable to generate anything in the ninth, ending the game 4-1.
 
Dalton Morrow went 6.0 innings, giving up just 3 hits, 2 earned runs, and striking out 7 in the loss. Caleb Sneed and Trevor Lofstrom each collected 2 hits on the day, Sneed with the lone RBI. Carl Schwettmann and Blake Lutgen were the other Bearcats with hits on the day.
 
Games two and three of the series will be played tomorrow, February 2, at 12 PM and 3 PM.