ADA, Okla. – The East Central University baseball team hosted Southern Nazarene University on Tuesday for a non-conference midweek showdown, claiming a 13-5 victory at Ken Turner Field for their first home win of the 2025 season.
 
The Tigers will now turn their focus to a Great American Conference series against Northwestern Oklahoma State University, set for Feb. 28 and March 1.
 
SNU took an early lead in the first inning, capitalizing on an ECU error. However, the Tigers responded in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly from Zac Carroll to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Crimson Storm regained the advantage in the second inning, scoring two runs on three hits and another ECU error. They stretched their lead to 4-1 in the third on additional miscues from the Tigers.
 
Despite a shaky start, ECU quickly regrouped and ignited an offensive surge. The Tigers trimmed the deficit to 4-2 in the third when a throwing error by SNU allowed Weldon Sherrell to score. Then, ECU exploded for five runs in the fourth inning. Sherrell's sacrifice fly scored Cole Tracy, while Blake Seefeldt drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Krew Taylor. A wild pitch allowed Lucas Barnes to cross the plate, and Pryce Jackson drew the final bases-loaded walk to give ECU a 7-4 lead.
 
The Tigers extended their advantage to 9-4 in the sixth, thanks to a clutch two-RBI single from Jackson. SNU managed one more run in the seventh, but that would be their last as ECU continued to add on.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Seefeldt's RBI single plated Sherrell, and Christian Fernandez delivered a huge two-RBI triple down the left field line, scoring Carroll and Seefeldt. Jackson capped the inning with an RBI single to score Fernandez, sealing the 13-5 victory.
 
Trace McDaniels started on the mound, tossing 3.0 innings before Carson Padgett came in for relief, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four for his first win of the season. Jacob Poff and Tate Rico finished the final 2.2 innings, shutting out SNU the rest of the way.
 
Pryce Jackson had a standout performance, going 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs. Lucas Barnes and Blake Seefeldt also had strong outings, each collecting three hits, while Krew Taylor added two hits to the offensive effort.