By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline baseball team battled on Thursday but ultimately fell short in their first losses of the season at the hands of the Abilene Cowboys.
With finals of 13-12 and 11-3 the Trojans fall to 6-2 but do remain undefeated in league play.
The opener of this doubleheader was a real battle, with the lead changing hands five different times, and a late comeback effort for SES coming up just short.
The Trojans would get on the board first, taking a 2-0 lead into the second, and holding a 3-1 lead into the third.
From there, Abilene would strike for four runs of their own to claim their first lead, and after trading runs in the fourth it was Southeast’s turn to tack on three more to reclaim a 7-6 advantage.
The back and forth continued in the sixth with the Cowboys getting all three runs back, and down to their final three outs, the Trojans strung together two in the seventh to send the game to extras.
In the eighth, Abilene kept on rolling plating four massive runs, and while SES never quit, taking back three in the home half, they ran out of outs to give, falling in an extra-inning heartbreaker 13-12.
Game two would not be so close as after two innings of a pitcher's duel, the Cowboys struck for five runs in the third, slowly sprinkling in more in the fourth, fifth, and sixth to complete the sweep in an 11-3 victory.
The two Abilene hurlers combined to toss six innings, allowing just three runs on five hits, striking out five, and walking just three in the process.
The Trojans will get back to work on Tuesday as they travel to Sacred Heart to resume league play in what will be the first of four straight doubleheaders on the road.
For continuing coverage of SES baseball all season long, stay tuned to the Salina Post.