BETHANY, Okla. — For the first time since the second week of the season, Southern Nazarene strung back-to-back wins with its second straight 4-3 victory. Just a few days after downing No. 1 (NAIA) Oklahoma Baptist, SNU held on to a late lead to score the 4-3 win over East Central Friday.
 
The Crimson Storm (10-19, 5-14 GAC) also opened a Great American Conference series with a win since the first series of the year against Arkansas-Monticello.
 
SNU had to hold off an ECU (16-11, 7-7 GAC) that had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the ninth. The Crimson Storm took a 4-0 lead into the final inning of play, but the Tigers drew a walk and had two singles to start the inning. ECU's Ty Huie drew another walk to make score the Tigers' first run of the game before Garrett Donohoe hit a sacrifice fly to left to cut it to 4-2. Bryce McKee's single through the right side put ECU just one run away with two runners on, but Michael Descisciolo struck out Cale Russell for the final out of the game.
 
Kyle Fultz gave SNU an early 2-0 lead when he laced a single to right to drive home Gaige Webster and Dalen Edgar. Neither team scored again until the bottom of the eighth when the Storm scored two more. Edgar's single to short drove in the first run before Fultz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
Mason Pinion (2-5) arguably had his best outing of the year as the junior tossed eight shutout inning and allowed just six hits. Descisciolo threw the final inning allowing three runs on three hits.
 
Edgar led the way for the Storm at the plate as he went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.