BETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University baseball team faced Southern Nazarene University in a midweek nonconference game, where despite a strong early lead, the Tigers saw the Crimson Storm mount a late comeback to secure the victory.
 
ECU now turns its focus to their upcoming Great American Conference series against Southwestern Oklahoma State University this weekend in Weatherford, starting Friday, March 28, at 2 p.m.
 
The Tigers delivered one of their most impressive offensive performances of the season, utilizing the long ball to put runs up on the board with four home runs—marking a team-high and the first time achieving this feat since the 2023 season. However, it wasn't enough as Southern Nazarene battled back, eventually overcoming the deficit to claim the win.
 
ECU took an early lead in the first inning with a two-out rally. Blake Seefeldt's two-run homer to left field got the Tigers on the board, followed by Christian Fernandez's three-run blast to left-center, giving ECU a commanding 5-0 lead.
 
SNU responded in the bottom of the first, scoring one run off a bases-loaded walk, but the Tigers answered with two more runs in both the third and fourth innings. Trace Necessary hit ECU's third home run of the day, a two-run shot to left field, extending the lead to 7-1. Weldon Sherrell then delivered an RBI double, and Tyler Akers scored on a wild pitch to push the lead to 9-1.
 
Starting pitcher Beau Driggers held firm through four innings, allowing no hits and just one run. However, the Crimson Storm began to rally in the fifth inning, scoring one run on two hits before exploding for four more on a grand slam in the sixth to narrow the gap to 9-6.
 
In the seventh, Christian Fernandez responded with his second home run of the day, a two-run shot, putting ECU back in front, 11-6. But Southern Nazarene answered in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 11-all with a five-run barrage, including five hits.
 
ECU regained the lead in the eighth when Sherrell's RBI double brought Akers home, putting the Tigers ahead 12-11. However, in the bottom of the eighth, SNU took their first and final lead of the game, scoring three runs on two hits and a Tiger error with two outs, grabbing the advantage and momentum heading into the final inning.
 
The Tigers had a chance to respond in the ninth with Bennie Qualls singling and Mason Shimkus walking, putting runners on base. But ECU was unable to capitalize, resulting in a tough 14-12 loss.
 
Trace McDaniels and Jacob Poff each pitched one inning in relief, while Tate Rico, Ryan Dembroski, and Jeremy Slate combined for the final two innings, with Dembroski taking the loss.
 
Offensively, Christian Fernandez led the way with five RBIs and two home runs. Weldon Sherrell went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Trace Necessary and Bennie Qualls each recorded two hits.