The baseball program at Shawnee State split Saturday's contests with West Virginia Tech as the Bears scored 11 runs on 10 hits over the opening two innings of work to pull away for an 11-9 victory over the Golden Bears to clinch the series against West Virginia Tech, but failed to obtain the sweep as the Golden Bears scored each of the final 10 runs in a 12-3 setback for the Bears -- resulting in a Saturday split at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth.

Game 1 -- Shawnee State 11, West Virginia Tech 9

Shawnee State fell behind by a 1-0 margin in the top half after West Virginia Tech manufactured a run through a sacrifice fly, but the Bears made the early 1-0 deficit after one-half inning of work a distant memory.

In a destructive bottom half of the first, Shawnee State posted seven runs on six hits in a half-frame where Rob Ehlers' group sent 12 batters to the plate.

Back-to-back-to-back singles by Nolan Tressler, Eric Oakes and Noah Sniadach to begin the bottom half of the opening inning was followed by a two-run error that gave SSU a 2-1 advantage, and Hunter Warner and Ryan Scott followed with RBI singles that brought in Sniadach and Zach Gaspar.

A second two-run error, along with an RBI single by Oakes, closed out the destructive first frame -- and gave the Bears a 7-1 cushion after an inning of work.

In the second frame, Shawnee State posted another crooked frame, batting around in the bottom of the second while claiming four runs on four hits. A leadoff single by Michael De Jesus, a walk and a single by Hunter Warner got things rolling, opening the door for Scott, who shot a two-RBI single back up the middle of the diamond, and Tressler, who shot a two-run triple to right field, to give SSU a commanding 11-1 lead after two innings complete.

Jakobe Reese ultimately got the decision on the mound for the Bears, as the 6-5 hurler threw effectively, throwing a six-hitter in that time while posting five strikeouts on his line.

Game 2 -- West Virginia Tech 12, Shawnee State 3

Nolan Tressler got the second contest off to a roaring start for the Bears as the junior center fielder launched a leadoff homer to give Shawnee State a 1-0 advantage after an inning of work.

West Virginia Tech rallied to get the lead back in the second inning on back-to-back singles by Noah Lukas and Noah Cummings, who later came across to score on a wild pitch and an error, respectively, to take a 2-1 advantage.

However, Shawnee State answered back over the following pair of frames. After a single by Luis Mejia and a sacrifice bunt by Michael De Jesus, Tyler Lund's RBI single to center field allowed Mejia to score, knotting the score at two runs apiece after two innings of work. Then, in the third frame of action, Hunter Warner's RBI single brought in Noah Sniadach to give Shawnee State a 3-2 advantage after three innings of work after a pair of errors by West Virginia Tech allowed Sniadach to move to third base, setting up Warner's run-producing hit.

Unfortunately, Shawnee State's 3-2 lead did not last -- as West Virginia Tech equalized the score at three apiece after four innings complete on a solo home run by Cummings. The Golden Bears then broke the contest up by posting a five-run fifth and a four-run sixth to take command.

Additional

Tressler (3-for-8, triple, home run, five RBI, two runs scored), Warner (3-for-8, two RBI, two runs scored), and Scott (3-for-7, three RBI, two runs scored) led Shawnee State's production offensively Saturday.

Shawnee State (12-16, 7-5 River States Conference) is scheduled to be back in action Tuesday against Wilberforce. The time of the game is to be determined.

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