Waxahachie, TX | March 13, 2026 — The Nelson University Lions returned to the Lions Athletic Complex on Friday afternoon looking to open their Sooner Athletic Conference weekend series with momentum, but a decisive third inning from Southwestern Christian proved to be the difference as the Eagles defeated the Lions 7–3 in Waxahachie. 

After two scoreless frames to begin the afternoon, Southwestern Christian broke the game open in the top of the third inning. The Eagles strung together timely hits and aggressive baserunning to plate five runs in the inning, highlighted by a towering home run from Dario Paredes that drove in four runs and shifted the momentum firmly in favor of the visitors. 

Despite the early deficit, the Lions continued to battle throughout the afternoon. Nelson broke through in the fifth inning when Ethan Starks delivered an RBI single, putting the Lions on the board and energizing the home dugout. Nelson added another run in the sixth inning when Mitchell Baker drove in a run, trimming the gap as the Lions searched for a late push. 

Southwestern Christian answered back with insurance runs in the sixth and eighth innings to maintain control, but the Lions refused to go quietly. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Addison Patton delivered an RBI hit to bring another run across and keep the pressure on the Eagles. 

Nelson finished the afternoon with six hits, including knocks from Drew Ortiz, Ethan Starks, Mitchell Baker, Tate Thrasher, Addison Patton, and Tristian McGee, while Ortiz and Odnal Rivera both swiped bases as the Lions looked to generate offense. 

On the mound, Reagan Smith took the loss after starting the contest. The Lions bullpen battled to keep the game within reach, with Dylan Zajicek, Cash Eckermann, and Konnor Kopecky combining to cover the remaining innings and limit further damage. 

Southwestern Christian collected 10 hits on the afternoon, led by Elvis Rojas' three-hit performance and the four RBIs from Paredes that ultimately proved decisive. 

The Lions will look to bounce back quickly as the series continues.

Next Up
Nelson returns to the Lions Athletic Complex tomorrow to finish the three-game series against Southwestern Christian with a doubleheader beginning at Noon in Waxahachie.

Nelson University (formerly SA GU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.