ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Ouachita baseball posted a season-high 16 hits, including four homeruns, in a losing effort to the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs on Friday. Justin Weigle homered twice, and Preston Speers and Jakahari Howell added homers of their own, but the Tigers fell, 7-6.

Southwestern Oklahoma State (22-11, 14-6 GAC) led off the top of the first inning with a double and then put two runners on base after a hit by a pitch. Connor Eller recorded consecutive strikeouts, however, followed by a fly-out to centerfield to leave the two stranded.

In the bottom of the first, Weigle singled with one out and was later pushed to third on a single by Will Wallace, but a strikeout ended the inning with runners on the corners. After Eller retired the Bulldogs on seven pitches, Speers doubled to left field with two outs in the bottom of the second. Another strikeout, Ouachita's fourth of the game, kept the game scoreless after two innings.

The Tigers had two more chances in the third and fourth innings to score the first run of the game, as Ouachita put a runner on third in both innings. Both innings ended with strikeouts, though, as the Tigers left seven on base through the first four innings.

Ouachita finally came through in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runs on three hits and one error. Draijer led off with a strikeout, but reached second base on a wild pitch and then a throwing error by the Southwestern catcher. Weigle then doubled down the right field line to score Draijer and put the Tigers ahead, 1-0.

After a sacrifice bunt by Wallace that pushed Weigle to third, Ryan Hammer picked up his fourth run batted in on the season with a single, allowing Weigle to score Ouachita's second run.

The Bulldogs answered in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three runs on a homerun to right-centerfield. Southwestern then added to its lead with an RBI-single, taking a 4-2 lead. Later, in the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs extended their lead to five runs, as Ouachita allowed a three-run, four-hit inning. SWOSU had five consecutive batters reach base safely, including a triple, two doubles and a single.

Weigle started the comeback for Ouachita in the bottom of the seventh inning, leading off with a homer over the right field wall. Wallace and Hammer then followed with back-to-back singles, but Southwestern escaped the inning with just one run surrendered.

After Zach Gloff and Kason Kimbrell held the Bulldogs scoreless in the top of the eighth, Speers led off the bottom of the inning with Ouachita's second homerun of the contest. Then, immediately after a pitching change, Howell recorded his second homer of the season to pull the Tigers within two.

Weigle followed two batters later with his second long ball of the game, and Ouachita's third of the inning. After the second pitching change in the inning for Southwestern, the Bulldogs finally recorded the third out, still clinging to a 7-6 lead.

In the ninth, Jorden Lawrence and Jacob Knight kept the Bulldogs from scoring, and Ryan Hammer led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, his third hit of the game. Three consecutive outs ended the inning, however, and Southwestern escaped with the victory.

Despite a season-high 16 hits, the Tigers left 10 runners on base for the second game in a row. Hammer, Speers, Wallace and Weigle each recorded three hits, while Weigle recorded a team-high 3 runs batted in.

Ouachita will host the Bulldogs again on Saturday, for a doubleheader beginning at noon at Rab Rodgers Field.