Softball Splits Again at NFCA Leadoff

TUCSON, Ari. – No. 4 Southeastern opened day two of the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic with an 8-3 win over Regis to advance to the Gold Bracket, but suffered a 9-3 loss to No. 16 St. Mary's in game two in Tucson, Ari.
 
The Savage Storm will now move through the Consolation Bracket, first with a rematch against Colorado Mesa at 9 a.m. (CT)/8 a.m. (MT) followed by a game against either Midwestern State or Missouri-St. Louis at 10 a.m.
 
SE collected 10 hits against Regis, with Haley Strawn being the only player to collect two in the contest.
 
Laramie Beal and Sydney Kramer each drove in a pair of runs, while Arianna Jones, Strawn and Breanna Smith each added an RBI as well.
 
Jessica Seay got the start, but lasted just 2.1 innings while allowing three runs on five hits.
 
Jacee Bennett came on in relief and kept the Rangers off the scoreboard for 5.1 innings while allowing four hits and striking out four to collect her first win of the year.
 
Kramer would open the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single that plated Jessica Simmons.
 
Regis would answer with a run in the bottom half to knot the game up at 1-1.
 
The Storm would redouble their efforts in the second with an RBI single by Smith that plated Strawn, followed by Harmon scoring on an error and a Jones RBI single that scored Simmons for a 4-1 lead.
 
The Rangers did have an answer in the bottom half of the second with a pair of runs thanks to a triple and a double to close the score to 4-3.
 
That would be the end of Regis' scoring, while Strawn would single home Courtney Riddle in the third, and in the seventh Kramer would plate Simmons on a squeeze play and Beal would plate two on a single to give SE the 8-3 margin of victory.
 
STMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings with a pair of runs in the first and another in the second.
 
The Storm answered in the third, first with a two-run Jordyn James single, followed by a Beal RBI fielder's choice to tie the game at 3-3.
 
However, the Rattler's would break the tie first by putting up five runs in the fourth thanks to three SE errors to open up an 8-3 lead.
 
STMU would add one more run in the sixth to fashion the final of 9-3.
 
Seven different Storm players each collected a hit in the game, while James drove in two runs and Beal added an RBI of her own.
 
Ashley Moore got the start and was saddled with her first loss of the year after going 2.2 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Bennett would also toss in relief against the Rattlers and finished by allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits with four K's in 3.1 innings pitched.