Storm Closed Out the Cherokee Nation D2 Festival

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Southeastern softball goes 0-2 on the final day of play at the Cherokee Nation D2 festival. The Savage Storm came up short late in game one against No. 17 Missouri Southern, as their seventh-inning rally fell short after scoring two runs, 6-5. In game two, Washburn jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, winning 6-0.
 
GAME ONE: NO. 17 MSSU 6, SE 5
The Storm struck first to take a 2-0 lead, scoring a run in each of the first two innings. Lorryn Johnson walked in a run in the bottom of the first before Emily Simmons knocked a base hit into right field in the second to plate the Storm's second run.
 
The Lions replied in the top of the third, scoring a pair of runs to tie the game 2-all, and not long after, MSSU plated three more in the top of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. The blue and gold pulled a score back in the bottom half of the fifth, as India McMurray sent a solo home run over the left field wall to make it 5-3.
 
Missouri Southern answered back with another run in the top sixth to extend its advantage back to three, 6-3. Southeastern looked to rally in the bottom of the seventh after relief pitcher E. Simmons posted a zero in the top half. The Storm had runners on second and third with no outs, and E. Simmons would provide an RBI groundout to score Susan Edwards from third. McMurray batted in the next run on an RBI sacrifice flyout to make it 6-5, but the rally would end there for SE.
 
Edwards posted three hits in four at-bats and scored two runs, while E. Simmons and McMurray each batted in two runs. The Storm were out-hit by the Lions 12-to-8, and the blue and gold would commit three errors across the seven frames.
 
GAME TWO: WU 6, SE 0
Washburn jumped on the Storm early, as Southeastern fell behind 6-0 after the Icabods posted six runs in the top of the second. While the WU bats were off and going, the SE bats were being held in check, recording two hits across the first three innings. From there, the Storm recorded just three more base runners across the final three frames.
 
SE recorded five games for the game, with five different players registering a hit. Trinity Oden got the start in the circle and went 1.1 innings with four runs allowed on three hits, while E. Simmons saw the bulk of relief with 5.1 frames worked with only one hit allowed and three strikeouts.