BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern Oklahoma State drops its opening games on the first day of the Alvy Early Memorial Classic.
The Savage Storm got the day going with a back-and-forth contest with Northwest Missouri State, and the Bearcats would use late runs in the sixth to secure a 9-5 lead. In the second game of the day, Washburn got the better of the blue and gold 6-2.
GAME ONE: NWMSU 9, SE 5
The Storm found themselves trailing after the first inning, as the Bearcats plated three runs in their half of the frame behind four hits. After being held to one hit through the first two innings, Southeastern got its bats going in the top of the third, scoring three runs to tie the game.
SE started the frame with runners on first and second with no outs, and
Sage Harlow would step up to the plate and send a bases-clearing double to left field to score the two runners. An error by the Bearcat's second baseman led to the third run to cross home to make it 3-3. However, Northwest Missouri State replied with a three-run inning in the bottom half of the third to stretch its lead back to 6-3.
The Storm bats did not slow down in the top of the fourth, with the blue and gold pulling two runs back.
Susan Edwards led off the frame with a double and soon scored on the next at-bat from a single by
Ananda Garrison. Garrison would then score from first after
Kasey Simmons doubled to cut the NWMSU lead to 6-5.
Starting pitcher
Emily Simmons gave Southeastern two scoreless frames from the circle in the fourth and fifth, but the Northwest Missouri State bats soon came alive in the sixth. The Bearcats chained together four hits for three runs to push their lead to 9-5.
Southeastern finished the game with eight hits, led by Harlow's two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. E. Simmons fell to 2-1 in the circle after surrendering nine earned runs on 14 hits while striking out four.
GAME TWO: WU 6, SE 2
Both sides starting pitchers settled in early, holding the opposing bats to zero runs in the first two innings. The Icabods would be the first to scratch across runs in the top of the third, plating two runs to take the lead. Washburn soon broke things open in the fifth, plating four more runs to extend its gap to 6-0.
The Storm would bring in a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, with
Jazzy Rios and Harlow combining to bat in the pair of runs. Washburn would hold off the late threat from SE, getting the final out for the win.
Harlow led the team with two hits, while the Storm ended with six hits as a team. Starting pitcher
Trinity Oden went 4.0 innings before
Alyson Malone pitched the final 3.0 innings, and the two would combine for eight strikeouts.
Southeastern (3-4) resumes action tomorrow with two games against Truman State and Drury starting at 11 a.m.
