SE Sweeps Twinbill, Wins Series at SAU

MAGNOLIA, Ark.  – Southeastern piled up 27 runs on the day and 33 hits as they picked up a double-header sweep of Southern Arkansas on Sunday with wins of 13-7 and 14-10 to take three-of-four games in the series in Magnolia, Ark.
 
The wins lift the Savage Storm to 15-16 overall on the season and 11-5 in Great American Conference play which moves them into third place by winning percentage ahead of East Central and behind Henderson State.
 
Sydney Kramer posted a 4-f05-5 outing in game one on the day, while Courtney Riddle, Laramie Beal, Haley Strawn, Jordyn James and Darian Williams each added two hits.
 
Jessica Simmons also picked up a hit in the game.
 
Riddle and Beal drove in three runs each, while Strawn and Williams added two RBI apiece.  Simmons, Kramer and Conner Harmon each added an RBI as well.
 
Jessica Seay got the start and collected the win after tossing 5.1 innings and allowing seven runs, six earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts.
 
Jacee Bennett tossed 1.2 innings in relief and scattered just one hit while striking out one.
 
Beal got the Storm on the board with a two-run single in the top of the first that plated Kramer and Simmons.
 
SAU had an answer though with a grand slam in the bottom of the first to open up a 4-2 lead.
 
The advantage would not last long though as bases-loaded walks to Harmon and Simmons in the top of the second would tie the game, followed by an RBI single by Kramer and another RBI walk drawn by Riddle to push out to a 6-4 lead.
 
The Muleriders would get a run in the bottom of the second, but Williams would connect on her first career home run to answer and make the score 7-5.
 
SAU would get another run in the bottom of the third to close to 7-6, but the Storm, would put together back-to-back RBI singles from Riddle and Beal in the sixth to take a 9-6 lead, followed with a two-out two-run single by Strawn and an RBI double by Williams to complete a five run inning and take a 12-6 lead.
 
The Muleriders would pick up a run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 12-7, but Riddle would crush her second triple of the season to drive in Kramer in the top of the seventh to fashion the final of 13-7.
 
Game two looked to get away from the Storm early as SAU exploded for eight runs in the second inning to open up an 8-0 lead.
 
But SE had an answer, first using a pair of RBI singles by Riddle and Beal in the third inning, followed by an RBI hit-by-pitch by Williams to cut into the deficit and make it 8-3.
 
The Storm would complete its rally in the fourth thanks to RBI singles from Riddle, Arianna Jones and Harmon, an RBI double by Beal and a sac fly from Strawn to tally five runs and tie the game at 8-8.
 
Strawn would then give the team a 9-8 lead with a solo homer in the top of the sixth.
 
However, SAU would answer with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and put the Storm down 10-9 heading into the final inning.
 
Harmon would open the seventh with a single and two batters later Simmons would single and advance on the throw to leave runners on second and third with one out.
 
Both runners would then come home when Kramer reached on an error to give SE an 11-10 lead.
 
SE would load the bases on the next two hitters and Strawn would connect on a two-run double to right-center followed one batter later by a Jones RBI single to open up a 14-10 lead which would hold to be the final score.
 
Riddle, Beal, Strawn and Jones each collected three hits in the contest, while Kramer and Harmon added two apiece with Simmons and Ashley Moore chipping in one each.
 
Strawn finished with four RBI in the game, with Riddle, Beal and Jones driving in a pair each and Kramer, Williams and Harmon adding one apiece.
 
Jacee Bennett got the start but took a no decision after allowing seven runs on five hits in 2.0 innings of work, with Moore coming on to toss 3.1 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits.
 
Seay would pick up her second win of the day and fifth of the season after tossing 1.2 innings and scattering two hits with no runs allowed.