BETHANY, Okla. - Southern Nazarene hosted East Central at Feland Field on Tuesday afternoon and came out with a big 14-12 comeback win over the Tigers.

It was all ECU (4-26, 1-17 GAC) early on as the Tigers put up five runs in the first inning to take a 5-0 lead. Southern Nazarene (8-22, 3-15 GAC) got on the board in the bottom inning when Ryan Talley drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-1.

East Central kept the pressure on, adding two runs in the third and two more in the fourth to push their lead to 9-1. 

The Storm got one back in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly from Antonio Sabala that scored Tucker LeMay, cutting the deficit to 9-2.

The momentum started to shift in the sixth inning with the bases loaded, Tanner Bare stepped up and launched a grand slam over the left field fence, bringing the Crimson Storm within three at 9-6.

ECU answered in the seventh with two more runs to stretch the lead to 11-6. The Crimson was not done yet. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Storm offense came alive. LeMay singled to left to drive in a run, and Aiden McCullough followed with an RBI single of his own. 

Two wild pitches allowed Weston Hicks and LeMay to score, tying the game at 11-11. Sabala then doubled down the right field line, scoring two more and giving the Storm their first lead of the day.

The Tigers responded once more in the eighth, scoring to tie it at 12-12. But in the bottom of the inning, the Crimson Storm  took advantage of an ECU error that allowed both LeMay and Hicks to cross home plate. The Storm closed it out from there to secure the 14-12 win in a back and forth battle.

Next Up
The Crimson Storm will host the Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State. The two teams are set to play a single game Friday, March 28 at 2:00 pm and a doubleheader on Saturday, March 29 at 12 pm.