DURANT, OK – After their 2022 season debut in Oklahoma, the Cougars finished the day 1-1 against the Savage Storm of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Colorado Christian took game one after a strong start, winning 10-8. Game two was taken by the Savage Storm 5-2 after a quick seven innings.  
 
GAME ONE – The Cougars got on the board right away, scoring 4 runs on 3 hits in the top of the first. Frankie Shearn was the first to score after getting hit by pitch, stealing second, and was then brought home by an Eli Ludwig single. Wyatt Crenshaw then singled, but advanced on a fielding error that brought home Ludwig. Crenshaw made it home after a wild pitch to score the third run for the Cougars, and the fourth and final run of the inning came from Caden Walton who got on base after a hit by pitch, then was brought home by a double from Russell Cruz. The bottom of the inning was a quick three up three down for Tyler Fischer, making the first inning of the year for CCU a success.
 
SEU snagged a run in the bottom of the second, but the Cougars responded in the third with a homerun from Walton to make the score 5-1. The Savage Storm tightened the score with 2 runs in the bottom of the third, and another single run in the bottom of the fourth. Southeastern then took the lead in the sixth when they took advantage of an error and scored 2 runs, making the score 5-6.
 
A big seventh inning for the Cougars sealed the victory, after the team scored 5 runs to put them ahead. The first three batters all walked to load the bases, and the first to score was Cruz thanks to a single from Ludwig. An error then brought home both Kade Carney and Andrew Lloyd. The final 2 runs for CCU were thanks to a double from Walton, bringing home Crenshaw and Ludwig.
 
Southeastern scored a single run in both the eighth and ninth, but left the tying run on second in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Jake Gimbel took the victory on the mound for the Cougars, and JC Watne was credited the save.
 
GAME TWO – Colorado Christian came out strong again to start the game, scoring 2 runs in the first. Eli Ludwig walked then made it home after a triple from Wyatt Crenshaw. Crenshaw then scored the final run for the Cougars on a ground out to put the team ahead by 2.
 
Despite going three up three down in the first two innings, Southeastern came into the third and scored 4 to take the victory, and tallied on one more in the fourth to make the final score 5-2.
 
Overall the Cougars were impressive at the plate across the board. Caden Walton finished the day with 2 runs, 2 hits, and 3 RBI's. Eli Ludwig had 3 runs, 4 hits, and 2 RBI's. Wyatt Crenshaw landed 3 runs, 2 hits, and 2 RBI's.
 
UP NEXT –The four-game series at Mike Metheny Field will be complete on February 12^th with a second twin bill beginning at 11:00 AM MST.