Storm Split Opening Day at Raising Cane's Festival

PIEDMONT, Okla. – Southeastern softball got a little payback on Friday with a 5-3 win over Central Missouri to open play at the Raising Cane's Festival, but would end the day with a split after dropping a 9-1 decision to No. 8 Rogers State in Piedmont, Okla.
 
The day one split moves the Savage Storm to 4-6 to open the 2024 campaign with a 10:30 a.m. matchup against Ft. Hays State and a 3:30 p.m. contest with Washburn slated for Saturday in Edmond, Okla.
 
Game one saw the top four spots in the order collect six hits combined, with Gracie Ore and Kamryn Rackley each posted a pair of hits, while Sage Harlow and India McMurray added one each.
 
Kady Fryrear, Bailey Beard, and Iliana Olivares each picked up a hit as well.
 
McMurray would drive in a pair of runs while Ore, Taylor, and Fryrear each drove in one run.
 
Reese Taylor got the start and tossed a complete game to earn her first win of the season, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts.
 
UCM would put up a pair of runs in the top of the first, but a McMurray infield single would drive in Ore in the bottom half and was followed by Taylor reaching on an error on a sac bunt attempt which plated Rackley to tie the game at 2-2.
 
A batter later Fryrear would lay down a bunt single that the third baseman was unable to play, allowing McMurray to score and take a 3-2 lead.
 
The Jennies would knot the game with an RBI single in the top of the fourth.
 
That would not last long though as an Ore RBI double scored Sammi Dutton to regain the lead at 4-3.
 
McMurray would draw a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth to tack on an insurance run which would prove to be the final score at 5-3.
 
In game two, Harlow, Emily Simmons, and Beard would each collect hits, with Simmons driving in the lone RBI.
 
Simmons would get the start in the circle and suffered the loss after going 2.1 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.
 
Alyson Malone would come in to finish the game and was tagged for four runs on four hits with two K's.
 
A Simmons RBI double in the first inning would give the Storm the first lead of the contest at 1-0.
 
It would hold until the third when RSU drew back-to-back walks followed by two RBI singles and a two-run triple to mount a 5-1 lead.
 
The Hillcats would tack on a grand slam in the fourth to push the margin to 9-1 which would hold as the final score.