Errors Costly as SE Swept by MWSU

EMPORIA, Kan.  – Errors proved costly for Southeastern as the Savage Storm headed north for the first two of a four-game road trip to Kansas, dropping a pair of games against Missouri Western State, 10-6 and 8-5 on Monday afternoon in Emporia, Kan.
 
The losses drop SE to 12-12 overall on the year heading into a Tuesday double-header against Emporia State beginning at 10 a.m.
 
Southeastern struggled in the field in the opener on Monday, committing a season-worst seven errors which accounted for four unearned runs which proved to be the difference in the final score.
 
Such a difference that the Storm held an 11-to-10 edge in total hits, with Jessica Simmons, Laramie Beal and Breanna Smith each collecting a pair of hits.
 
Simmons and Smith each added a pair of RBI, while Haley Strawn and Conner Harmon added one apiece.
 
Jessica Seay got the start and took the loss after allowing seven runs, six earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched.
 
Jacee Bennett tossed 3.0 innings in relief and was hit with three unearned runs on three hits.
 
MWSU took a 2-0 lead with runs in each of the first two innings before a Simmons single plated Darrian Williams and cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
The Griffons would out up five runs in the bottom of the third though to break open a 7-1 advantage.
 
SE answered in the top of the sixth, first with an RBI double by Strawn, followed by a two-run ground-rule double by Smith, an RBI single by Harmon and an RBI sac fly by Simmons to close the gap to 7-6 midway through the sixth inning.
 
However, MWSU would add three runs in the bottom of the sixth to push its lead back to 10-6 which would be the final.
 
The Storm committed a pair of errors in game two which accounted for a pair of unearned runs which was nearly the difference again as the team collected an equal number of hits as its opponent.
 
Courtney Riddle posted three hits, while Arianna Jones, Strawn and Williams each had a pair of hits.
 
Jones drove in a pair of runs, while Riddle, Jordyn James and Williams added an RBI each.
 
Bennett was saddled with the loss in game two after allowing seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in 3.2 innings pitched.
 
Seay would toss 3.1 innings in relief and was hit for a run on three hits.  Each pitcher struck out two batters.
 
A pair of first-inning homers left the Storm down 4-0 after the top half of the first, but Jones answered with a long ball of her own to make it 4-1.
 
MWSU added two more solo shots in the second to open up a 6-1 edge.
 
Williams, Jones and Riddle each connected on RBI singles in the bottom of the second to close the gap to 6-4.
 
James tacked on another run with an RBI single in the third to make it 6-5.
 
That was as close as it would get though as the Griffons would add a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to pull out to an 8-5 lead which would be the final score.