Bartlesville, Okla.—
Game 1:
A five-run first inning by Oklahoma Wesleyan put USM in an early hole that they just could not escape, as the Spires dropped a 3-12 decision Saturday afternoon in game two of a three game series that was moved to Bartlesville due to impending weather.

The Spires trailed 0-5 after the opening frame and 0-10 by the middle of the third before chipping away with three runs across the third and fourth innings. The Spires briefly seized momentum behind run-producing at-bats from Ben Brandt and Bryce Turner, but Oklahoma Wesleyan's early offensive outburst and a dominant relief performance from right-hander Florio closed the door on any comeback hopes.

Oklahoma Wesleyan did most of its damage early, stringing together a five-run first that included a two-run double to right-center by Morales and an RBI single from Maloney. The Eagles added a run in the second on Maloney's sacrifice fly, then broke the game open with four more runs in the third, highlighted by a two-run single from Manzanill to make it 10 runs to zero in favor of OKWU.

Saint Mary answered in the bottom of the third, breaking through when Brandt grounded out to first to bring home the Spires' first run. The offense carried that push into the fourth, when Turner drove a two-run double into the right-center gap to trim the deficit to 10-3 and give the Saint Mary dugout a needed lift. The Spires finished with six hits and four walks and left nine runners on base, generating traffic but unable to produce a sustained rally against the Oklahoma staff.

On the mound, Saint Mary's lineup ran into a strikeout-heavy Oklahoma Wesleyan staff that combined for 11 punch outs and limited the Spires to three earned runs. Starter Luera worked 4.0 innings, allowing six hits and three runs with six strikeouts, before turning the ball over to Florio. The reliever was sharp over the final 5.0 innings, yielding just one hit and fanning five to earn the save and keep the Spires off the board the rest of the way.

Game 2:
The Spires were unable to slow a steady Oklahoma Wesleyan attack in the final game of the series, falling 0-13 in an eight-inning contest in Oklahoma as the Eagles scored in each of the first six innings to pull away.

Oklahoma Wesleyan struck for three runs in the first inning and never trailed, using a combination of timely hitting and defensive pressure to take control early. An RBI single from Maloney opened the scoring, and RBI hits from Ramirez and Gutierrez pushed the Spires into a 0-3 hole before they came to bat. Saint Mary's defense was tested immediately and Oklahoma Wesleyan capitalized, finishing the day with 12 hits and no errors.

USM's deficit grew in the second when Diaz reached on an error at first base to drive in another run, and Parreno followed in the third with a run-scoring double to right-center that made it 0-5. A two-run home run from Manzanill in the fourth stretched the margin to 0-7, and Oklahoma Wesleyan effectively broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning capped by a three-hit day from Diaz. The Oklahoma Wesleyan slugger doubled earlier and later launched a home run that helped him finish 3-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored.

Saint Mary struggled to generate a sustained response against Oklahoma Wesleyan starter Morgan. The Spires put runners on base in multiple frames but could not come up with the key hit, stranding six runners over seven offensive innings. Oklahoma Wesleyan's bullpen backed Morgan to complete the combined shutout, limiting Saint Mary to six hits, one walk and 10 strikeouts. Six Spires would come up with hits in game two with Saul Vazquez-Alvarado, Sergio Fierro, Tannen Buss, Ian Maldonado, Collin Pitzer, and Lucas Barta all attempting to get their squad going.

The Spires will head home for a three-game series versus the (RV) Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes at USM Baseball Field this Saturday and Sunday, February 28^th and March 1^st with the double header Saturday slated for a noon start and the lone game Sunday set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.