CHICKASHA, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball trailed Science & Arts (USAO) all the way until the seventh inning, but utilized steady scoring and solid bullpen relief to grind out an 8-5 midweek win over the Drovers.

USAO came out swinging the bats and used the hot start to build a 4-0 lead after the game's first three innings. SWOSU starting pitcher Justin Moreno surrendered eight hits in those three innings and was responsible for all of the runs the Drovers tallied during that span.

In relief of Moreno came Garret Gaunt, who slowed down the Drover offense by allowing just one run in his 3.0 innings of work. With USAO's scoring in check, the Bulldog bats came alive in the fourth inning and continued to produce from that point on in the game.

After collecting just one hit through the first three innings, SWOSU compiled 10 hits over the next six innings and tacked on runs in five straight frames from the fourth until the eighth.

Trailing 5-4 in the seventh inning, Marion McLean and Bryan Miranda singled to give the Dawgs a pair of base runners. Rafael Villela – making his third appearance in the starting lineup this season – delivered a two-RBI double to center field that gave SWOSU the first lead of the game at 6-5.

Brant Millerborg came in to pitch the seventh and despite loading the bases with an error, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch, held USAO scoreless in an important shut-down inning out of the bullpen.

The next half inning, McLean provided insurance at the plate with a two-RBI single that concluded the scoring for the evening and gave the Bulldogs an 8-5 margin.

Brendan Peitsmeyer pitched the final two innings and held USAO scoreless in the process while also picking up his third save of the season. The bullpen as a whole was strong on Tuesday and combined to allow just one run in 6.0 innings of collective work while scattering six hits.

Miranda finished 2-for-5 at the plate with his second home run of the season, a two-RBI blast to right field in the fifth inning. Both McLean and Villela had 2-for-4 showings at the dish with a pair of RBIs each.

SWOSU (14-8) will now travel to Edmond on Wednesday (March 14) for another midweek non-conference game against UCO. This weekend, the Dawgs will return to Weatherford to host the fifth straight GAC series of the season against Southern Arkansas.