SE Softball Takes Two-of-Three at SNU

BETHANY, Okla.  – Southeastern bounced back from a 4-3 loss in its resumed game on Saturday morning to sweep its regularly scheduled Saturday double-header from Southern Nazarene with wins of 8-7 and 13-5 in Bethany, Okla.
 
Taking two-of-three in the series lifts the Savage Storm to 12-10 overall on the year and 8-3 in Great American Conference play heading into a pair of out-of-conference, regional matchups during Spring Break with a twinbill against Missouri Western State on March 16 in Emporia, Kan., before playing Emporia State in a double-header on March 17.
 
In its second resumed game in as many weekends, SE entered the morning in the midst of a 3-3 tie with SNU.
 
Laramie Beal had opened scoring on Friday with a two-run single in the first inning, but the Crimson Storm answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half to knot the game at 2-2.
 
SNU would then take a 3-2 lead in the second, but Jessica Simmons would tie the game in the fourth with a single that scored Kalyn Ramber to tie the game at 3-3 which is where it would hold as play was suspended on Saturday due to rain.
 
Once resumed, SE was unable to take advantage of its best scoring chance with a pair of runners on in the sixth, but SNU would tack on the game-winning run with a bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to hand the Storm a 4-3 loss.
 
Jacee Bennett took the loss after tossing 1.0 innings and allowing a run on two hits, while Jessica Seay got the start and a no decision after tossing 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.
 
Beal and Darrian Williams each collected a pair of hits, while Simmons and Courtney Riddle added one each.
 
Beal drove in a pair of runs and Simmons added an RBI as well.
 
SE's bounce back looked slow on Saturday as the Crimson Storm took an early 1-0 lead in the first game of the double-header.
 
Simmons would tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the third on a heads up base running move, but SNU would answer in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Conner Harmon would tie the game again with an RBi single that scored Haley Strawn, but again the Crimson Storm had an answer to regain a 3-2 lead after four innings.
 
That is when the Storm offense got moving, first tying the game by taking advantage of an Arianna Jones single and an SNU error to allow Williams to score in the top of the fifth, followed by a Beal sac fly and Jones stealing home for a 5-3 lead.
 
Williams would drive in a pinch-running Shaina Crites in the top of the sixth on a squeeze bunt and later score on an illegal pitch before Sydney Kramer rove in Strawn on a double in the top of the seventh to open up an 8-3 lead.
 
SNU would rally with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to close the gap to 8-7 and would load the bases as Bennett came on to close out the game, but she would coax a bases-loaded groundout to preserve the 8-7 win.
 
Bennett got the start and tossed 2.2 innings, but earned the save with her work in the bottom of the seventh, allowing Jessica Seay to pick up the win after tossing 4.1 innings in relief and allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits.
 
Jones collected three hits in the game, while Strawn and Kramer added two each.
 
Kramer, Harmon, Williams and Beal each had an RBI.
 
The series finale was back-and-forth as well and again saw the Storm trailing.
 
Jones would score as Beal reached on an error in the first which was followed by a Strawn RBI double and a Kramer squeeze bunt to open up a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
 
That lead did not last long as SNU answered with three in the bottom half to tie the game, taking a 4-3 lead with a run in the second inning.
 
Strawn would score on a wild pitch in the third to tie the game at 4-4 and the Storm would take a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth on a Jones RBI single.
 
The Crimson Storm would again answer though to knot the game at 5-5 after four innings.
 
The SE offense would then click on, first taking the lead on a squeeze bunt by Harmon that scored a pinch-running Crites.
 
Two batter later the bases were loaded and Jones would single through the left side to stretch the lead to 7-5 and move everyone up a base.
 
That was followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Riddle and Beal to open the lead to 9-5 and leave the bases loaded with one out.
 
Strawn would then draw an RBI walk which was followed by a bases-clearing double by Kramer to push the lead out to 13-5 and allow for the run-rule victory for the Storm.
 
Jones posted three hits in the game, while Riddle, Strawn and Kramer added two each.
 
Kramer drove in four runs in three at bats, while Strawn and Jones each drove in a pair.
 
Jacee Bennett picked up her eighth win in relief after coming in with no outs in the bottom of the first inning and allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched.
 
Ashley Moore got the start and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits without recording an out.