SE Opens GAC Tourney with Run-Rule Win

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Southeastern erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pick up an 8-0 run-rule victory over Southern Nazarene in the first round of the Great American Conference Tournament on Thursday morning in Bentonville, Ark.
 
The Savage Storm improve to 31-21 overall on the season and advances into the winner's bracket and will play the winner between East Central and Arkansas-Monticello at 6 p.m. Thursday evening.
 
Jessica Simmons and Courtney Riddle led the way offensively with a pair of hits each, while Riddle and Jacee Bennett each drove in a pair of runs.
 
Simmons, Sydey Kramer and Haley Strawn each added an RBI as well.
 
Jessica Seay tossed a complete-game shutout by scattering five hits over five innings with three strikeouts.
 
SE struck first in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of a pair of SNU errors to score a pair of runs on no hits.
 
The first run came in as Arianna Jones scored from second on a sac bunt by Bennett which overthrew first base and allowed Bennett to move all the way around to third.
 
Three batters later the bases would be loaded with one out when Simmons was hit by a pitch to make the score 2-0.
 
The offense would not find any traction again until the third inning which opened with a Riddle double and a Beal single to put runners on the corners.
 
Strawn would then lay down a squeeze bunt and plate a pinch-running Shaina Crites to open up a 3-0 lead.
 
Jones would follow with a sac bunt to move runners to second and third before Bennett laid down a perfectly placed bunt that found a hole on the left side of the infield and allowed a pinch-running Breanna Smith and Strawn to score for a 5-0 lead.
 
SE would load the bases with two outs before Kramer drew an RBI walk for a 6-0 lead which set the table for Riddle to pick up her second hit of the inning, this one a two-run single which would get the Storm to an 8-0 lead and invoke the run-rule.