Box Score BENTONVILLE, Ark. –
Rachel Jones squeezed home
Shayna Milam in the bottom of the eighth inning and Southeastern survived its first-round Great American Conference tournament matchup with Ouachita Baptist in Bentonville, Ark., on Thursday.
The win keeps the Savage Storm in the winner's bracket to play the winner of the East Central and Harding matchup that followed SE's game. That contest is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday.
The win lifts the Storm to 36-15 on the year.
The game was a pitcher's duel in every sense of the word.
Mindy McElroy allowed a pair of hits in the second inning, but beginning with the third out of that inning she retired 13 straight hitters through the end of the sixth inning.
OBU got a leadoff single from Kailey Madden who then moved to second on a sac bunt and third on a groundout, but was stranded at third.
Arianna Jones would reach on a two-out drag bunt, but was unable to move past first in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
Lauren Renneker opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a single in the left-center gap and was replaced on the base paths by
Shayna Milam.
Jessica Simmons followed with a walk and both runners moved up on a
Lacie Cook sac bunt.
Rachel Jones played the role of hero by laying down a bunt up the first base line which allowed Milam to score the game-winning run from third.
McElroy tossed 8.0 innings and scattered three hits and one walk without allowing a run.
Renneker finished 2-for-3, including the leadoff single in the eighth which proved to be the winning run. Kramer,
Arianna Jones and
Courtney Riddle each added a hit in the game.
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