Taylor Shuts Out Bison in Rubber Match Victory

DURANT, Okla. – Reese Taylor tossed a three-hit shutout and Southeastern cashed in on a pair of critical triples to take the rubber match in the series against Oklahoma Baptist by a final score of 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Southeastern Softball Field.
 
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 13-12 overall on the season and 7-2 in Great American Conference play heading into a midweek doubleheader versus East Central slated for 1 p.m. on March 14 at the SE Softball Field.
 
Taylor tossed a complete game and scattered three hits in her second shutout of the season while striking out five and walking three.
 
Cheyenne Mahy and Bailey Beard each picked up a pair of hits, with each turning in a triple.

Those triples were critical as each would come home a batter later.
 
Sabetha Sands, Kady Fryrear, and Alexis Massie each added a hit.
 
Fryrear, Iliana Olivares, and Marilyn Alvarado would each record an RBI.
 
The Storm would log a pair of runs against the GAC's leading pitcher in Kayleigh Jones who entered the weekend with a 0.53 ERA, handing her a loss as well, her third of the season.
 
Mahy would connect on a two-out triple in the bottom of the first and Fryrear would bring her home a batter later with an RBI single to right for the 1-0 lead.
 
Neither team would get anything moving over the next three innings before the Bison would advance a runner to third in the fifth before Taylor coaxed a groundout.
 
OBU would threaten again in the top of the sixth with runners at first and third before Taylor would get a strikeout to end the inning and the threat.
 
Beard would then lead off the bottom of the sixth with a triple to right field and a batter later would score on an Olivares sac fly to center field, pushing the lead to 2-0.
 
Sands and Mahy would follow with singles before a Fryrear hit by pitch loaded the bases for Alvarado who would groundout to second, but bring a run home in the process to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
OBU would leadoff with a single in the top of the seventh, but a 4-6-3 double play would clear the bases and one final strikeout by Taylor would end the game with a 3-0 SE win.