Softball Set for GAC Tournament

Softball | 4/28/2015 8:35:00 PM

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern will open play in its fourth-straight Great American Conference Tournament on April 30 at 10 a.m. when it faces Southern Nazarene in the first round in Bentonville, Ark.
 
The Savage Storm enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed after a 30-21 regular season mark and a 24-10 GAC record.
 
The Crimson Storm enter as the No. 6 seed after going 15-20 in league play with a 19-28 record overall.
 
The winner of Thursday's contest will play at 6 p.m. that night in the winners bracket against the winner of the 2/7 matchup between East Central and Arkansas-Monticello.
 
SE has found success in the conference tournament, playing the title game in each of the three previous seasons, including its 2013 championship.
 
This season's team comes in with a potent offense that features a trio of .400 hitters, led by the league's third-ranked hitter Haley Strawn who is hitting .439 on the year with 15 doubles, six homers and 41 RBI.
 
Sydney Kramer is batting .414 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 36 RBI, while Jessica Simmons is not far behind at .403 with 6 doubles, two triples, 20 RBI, 48 runs scored and 28 stolen bases.
 
Behind them is a trio of hitters with averages at .350 or better including Arianna Jones, Courtney Riddle and Laramie Beal.
 
Beal leads the team in RBI with 42, with Strawn right behind at 41, while three other have at least 30 runs batted in on the year.
 
Jessica Seay has taken the team lead in ERA at 3.68 on the season, while she and Jacee Bennett have each tallied 14 wins.
 
Seay also leads the team in strikeouts with 101, while Bennett is right behind at 95.
 
SNU is led by Jill Clemence who is hitting .432 on the year, with five others at .300 or better.
 
Melissa Padilla paces the club in homers with five and RBI at 43.
 
Kayla Wyatt leads the pitching staff with a 4.17 ERA and a 9-14 record with 209 strikeouts, while Katelyn Brown matches her in record with nine wins.