Softball Splits on Day One at SAU

MAGNOLIA, Ark.  – Southeastern snapped its losing skid and salvaged a split in its first two games against Southern Arkansas, winning the nightcap 3-1 after falling in the series opener 9-7 on Saturday afternoon in Magnolia, Ark.
 
The Savage Storm improve to 13-16 overall on the year and move to 9-5 in Great American Conference play heading into the final two games of the series slated for Sunday afternoon at noon.
 
The nightcap turned into a pitcher's duel as Jacee Bennett picked up her ninth win of the year after tossing 6.2 innings and allowing a run on three hits with four strikeouts.
 
Jessica Seay faced one batter, striking her out.
 
Arianna Jones picked up three hits in the contest as SE finished with 10 in the game.
 
Jessica Simmons and Haley Strawn added two each, while Courtney Riddle, Laramie Beal and Darrian Williams chipped in one apiece.
 
Strawn drove in a pair of run, while Jones added an RBI as well.
 
Jones plated the team's first run on an RBI infield single in the first inning which scored Riddle.
 
The Storm would make the lead 2-0 in the same inning on an RBI single by Strawn to plate Beal.
 
SAU would get a run back in the fourth inning on an RBI double, but Strawn would drive in Riddle in the top of the fifth to make the score 3-1 and SE would face just 10 hitters over the final thee Mulerider innings to preserve the victory.
 
The opener got off to a terrible start as Southeastern allowed SAU to put up nine runs in the top of the first inning.
 
But the Storm got an RBI single from Riddle and an RBI double from Beal in the third inning to cut into the deficit and make it 9-2.
 
SE made an even bigger dent in the sixth inning, first on a Beal solo homer, followed by an RBI walk by Williams, a Conner Harmon sac fly and a two-run single by Riddle to put up five runs in the inning and make the score 9-7 midway through the sixth.


The rally would end there, however, as SAU would hold on for the 9-7 win.
 
Sydney Kramer, Riddle and Beal each tallied a pair of hits, while Simmons, Jones and Williams added one apiece.
 
Riddle would finish the game with three RBI, while Beal drive in two and the duo of Williams and Harmon plated one each.
 
Jessica Seay would take the loss after getting the start and allowing four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts.
 
Ashley Moore would toss two-third of the first inning and was hit for five runs on five hits with one K before Seay re-entered to finish the game.