Softball Opens Invite With 0-2 Start

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern softball got the season off to a rocky start as they found themselves on the wrong end of a pair of losses, falling 11-3 in the opener to Pittsburg State before suffering a 12-6 loss to Pittsburg State in the nightcap as part of the Southeastern Regional Invitational at the Durant Multi-Sports Complex.
 
The Savage Storm open the season at 0-2 and will face Missouri Southern State at 10 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a 3 p.m. contest against Central Missouri.
 
In the opener, the Gorillas scored in every inning as SE used four pitchers in the contest.
 
Jessica Simmons and Sydney Kramer each posted two-hit outings, with Simmons, Jordyn James and Conner Harmon each driving in a run.
 
Emily Cudd was saddled with the loss in her Southeastern debut after allowing four runs on six hits with one strikeout in 2.1 innings.
 
Hunter Offill was tagged for three runs on three hits over 2.0 innings, followed by Jessica Seay who allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits with three strikeouts.
 
Ashley Moore finished out the game, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out two.
 
PSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead before James and Harmon each singled home a run to cut the gap to 5-2 after four innings.
 
The Gorillas answered though with six runs over the final three innings before Simmons added an RBI single in the seventh to fashion the 11-3 final.
 
In the nightcap the Storm picked up 11 hits, but stranded seven runners.
 
MyKaela Wallace led the way with a pair of hits, both home runs, tallying four RBI.
 
Laramie Beal and Courtney Riddle each had a pair of hits as well, while Kramer and Riddle added an RBI each.
 
SE worked through four pitchers again, with Destiny Riddle getting the start and tossing 4.0 innings and getting hit with eight runs on nine hits.
 
Offill tossed the next 2.0 innings allowing three runs on four hits with one strikeout.
 
Moore faced three batters and was tagged with a run on two hits before Seay came on to finish the game with no hits and one K in one inning pitched.
 
Back to back homers in the first inning gave ESU the early 4-0 lead, but Kramer would drive in Simmons in the bottom of the inning to make the score 4-1.
 
The Hornets would put up three more runs on a home run in the top of the second and one each in the fourth and fifth innings to open up a 9-1 lead.
 
SE kept the game alive with a Wallace solo homer to left to stave off the run-rule.
 
However, ESU would add two more runs to take an 11-2 lead in the top of the sixth.
 
The Storm answered with Wallace's second homer, this one a three-run shot to left that closed the gap to 11-5.
 
The Hornets would tack on one more run, and SE would get one back in the bottom of the seventh to fashion the 12-6 final score.