CONROE, Texas – Southeastern Oklahoma State opens the season, going 1-1 at the Division II First Pitch Invitational with a 12-7 win over St. Mary's and a 7-0 defeat to No. 1 UT Tyler.
The Savage Storm had three players lead the team at the plate on the day, as
Iliana Olivares,
India McMurray and
Sabetha Sands each combined for three hits in the two games. Both Olivares and Sands had two hits versus STMU, while McMurray led the team with two hits against UTT. As a unit, SE had 19 hits across the 14 innings on a .333 batting average and committed two errors.
GAME ONE: SE 12, STMU 7
The Rattlers rattled off two early hits in the top of the first to set up a bases-loaded situation, and STMU would capitalize, scoring two runs to grab the lead. However, the Storm showed their power in the bottom half, blasting two home runs for four runs. Sands led off with a solo shot over the left field wall, and three batters later, McMurray belted a three-run homer to push SE out front 4-2.
Starting pitcher
Emily Simmons settled in and held St. Mary's scoreless in the second and third, allowing the Storm to stretch their advantage to eight runs. Olivares knocked a single up the middle to begin the bottom of the third, and two batters later, she would steal home to make it 5-2.
Kasey Simmons notched a single to score another run before
Kennedy Morgan mashed a grand slam to end frame.
St. Mary's got its offense going again in the fourth, chipping into the blue and golds score with a three-run inning, but the Storm pulled a run back in the fifth after back-to-back doubles. Both teams added runs in the sixth, with SE leading 12-7, and Southeastern held STMU scoreless in the seventh for the win.
E. Simmons picked up the win in the circle, pitching a complete game with seven strikeouts. SE compiled 13 hits and had four players with a multi-hit day, while McMurray and Morgan combined for seven RBIs and two of the team's three home runs.
GAME TWO: No. 1 UT Tyler 7, SE 0
Southeastern was under pressure from the top-ranked Patriots in the first inning, as UT Tyler had the bases loaded with no outs. UTT plated two runs on its next at-bats, but SE's starting pitcher,
Sheyenne Cheek, would limit the damage with zero runs surrendered in the frame after that.
Cheek continued to keep the Patriots off the scoreboard in the second and third, but UTT's Primrose Aholelei was equally as good in the circle, holding the Storm scoreless through four frames. UT Tyler added to its advantage in the bottom of the fourth, fifth and sixth, doubling its lead with a two-run homer to make it 4-0 and later scoring two more runs in the sixth to stretch the lead to 7-0.
Southeastern (1-1) resumes play at the DII First Pitch Invitational with two more games on Saturday, starting with Texas A&M-International at 1:30 p.m. and later taking on St. Edward's at 6:30 p.m.
