Southeastern Splits Twinbill With HSU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern opened its weekend series with an 8-5 win over Henderson State, but finished the first day with a split after dropping game two by an 8-5 score on Friday afternoon at the Southeastern Softball Field.
 
The split moves the Savage Storm to 16-11 overall on the year and 10-4 in Great American Conference play heading into the final two games of the series set for noon on Saturday.
 
In the opener, Elexis Watson went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and a pair of home runs to go with five RBI.
 
Destiny Riddle and Keeshia Thompson added two hits each, with Sydnee Hinkle, Kendyl Dockter and Brittany Chatellier posted one apiece.
 
Aside from Watson's five RBI, Dockter drove in a pair on a home run and Thompson added one on an RBI double.
 
Kelsey Meeks got the start and picked up a complete game victory, her 14^th win on the year after tossing all 7.0 innings and allowing five runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.
 
Southeastern struck first with a Watson RBI double in the bottom of the first which plated Thompson for a 1-0 lead.
 
HSU took advantage of a solo homer and an RBI single in the top of the third to briefly take a 2-1 lead.
 
Southeastern responded in the bottom half of the inning, first knotting the game on back-to-back doubles from Riddle and Thompson.
 
Thompson would then come home on a two run homer to left center by Watson to put the Storm up 4-2 after three innings.
 
SE would tack onto the lead in the bottom of the fifth with another two-run homer from Watson, followed later in the inning by a two-run Dockter homer to open up an 8-2 advantage.
 
HSU would answer with a three-run home run to cut the Storm lead to 8-5 midway through the sixth, but the Storm would hold on to keep that as the final score.
 
The Reddies scored first in the nightcap with an unearned run in the top of the first, but SE took advantage of a leadoff walk to Symphoni Shomo in the bottom half when Thompson  singled her home to tie the game at 1-1.
 
It remained tied until the fourth inning when Riddle helped her own cause with a three run homer to push the Storm out to a 4-1 advantage.
 
The Reddies closed the gap in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run homer to make it 4-3, but Meeks would come on in relief and get out of trouble in the inning.
 
SE would take advantage of a Shomo single in the bottom of the sixth as she moved around and scored on a Thompson single to tack on a run, making it 5-3 after six innings.
 
The Storm would retire the first two hitters of the seventh for HSU, but the Reddies would follow with a five run inning, all with two outs, to steal an 8-5 win in game two.
 
Thompson finished the contest with three hits and a pair of RBI, while Kennedy Salyers added a pair of hits.
 
Riddle drove in three runs on her home run, while Shomo and Dockter each added a hit.
 
Riddle got the start and tossed 5.0 innings and took a no decision after allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with two strikeouts.
 
Meeks came on in relief and was tagged for the loss after tossing 2.0 innings and allowing five runs on six hits.