Storm Split Second Day at 8-State Classic

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern ended the day strong with a 5-4 win over Minnesota State-Mankato on Saturday evening, bouncing back from a 10-2 loss to Central Missouri to open play for the day at the 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark.
 
The split moves the Savage Storm to 4-6 on the year heading into the final day of the event where they are set to take on Fort Hays State at 11 a.m. and Missouri Western State at 1 p.m.
 
In the day two finale, SE got a 3-for-3 effort at the plate form Jessica Simmons which also included an RBI, a run scored and a pair of stolen bases.
 
Jordyn James added a 2-for-2 effort with an RBI thanks to her solo homer in the sixth inning.
 
Sydney Kramer, Mykaela Wallace and Keeshia Thompson each added an RBI in the win.
 
Jessica Seay got the start but lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with one strikeout.
 
Emily Cudd came on in relief and improved to 2-2 on the season after tossing a scoreless 4.2 innings and scattering four hits with a pair of K's.
 
SE took the lead first when Simmons scored on a Kramer sac fly in the first inning.
 
However, the Mavericks answered with an unearned run in the top of the second to even the game at 1-1.
 
The Storm answered in the bottom half of the inning, first when a pinch-running Kennedy Been scored as Wallace reached on a fielder's choice.
 
SE added continued to add in the inning with a Thompson squeeze play that plated a pinch-running Jasmine Morales and pushed the lead to 4-1 on a Simmons RBI single.
 
But MSU bounced back with three runs of their own in the top of the third to tie the game at 4-4.
 
The difference would be a James homer in the sixth to go up 5-4 With Cudd getting out of trouble with a runner on third by coaxing a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.
 
In the day's opener Wallace and Thompson each picked up a pair of hits, but the Storm were outhit 11-to-6 on its way to a 10-2 loss to Central Missouri.
 
Cudd was saddled with the loss after getting the start and allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits with three strikeouts over 2.0 innings.
 
Hunter Offill allowed a run on a hit in one inning of relief, with Ashley Moore tossing 1.1 innings and allowing a pair of runs on three hits with two K's, while Destiny Riddle finished the game and allowed a pair of runs on three hits in 2.2 innings pitched with one strikeout.
 
UCM opened up a 4-0 lead in the first inning on a base clearing triple and an RBI groundout.
 
SE answered in the top of the second, taking advantage of three Jennie errors to allow Beal to score on one and setting up Thompson's RBI single which scored Ashton Adkins.
 
That would end the Storm scoring though as UCM would add a run in the second, another in the third and two more in the fourth and the sixth innings to bring the game to an end.