Malone Tosses No-Hitter, SE Sweeps Doubleheader

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern sweeps Saturday's doubleheader against Southern Nazarene to clinch the series win. SE took game one behind a no-hitter performance from Alyson Malone before securing a 3-1 win in game two.
 
GAME ONE: SE 1, SNU 0
Southeastern and Southern Nazarene were locked in a pitchers' duel in game one, with the two sides tied at 0-0 through four innings. Alyson Malone allowed one base runner during this stretch, while racking up four strikeouts. However, SNU's Baylee Sales was equally as good in the circle, holding the Savage Storm to three hits and zero runs.
 
Malone continued to deal, posting three more scoreless frames, but the SNU pitching staff matched Malone's performance with two sides locked at 0-0 heading into the seventh. Southeastern threatened to score the winning run with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh, but back-to-back outs would bring the frame to an end.
 
The two sides had to wait till the ninth for a run to eventually score, as Southeastern scratched in a score in the bottom of the frame to walk off SNU. A leadoff walk by Tally Rowland set up the game-winning run after a single and a stolen base to stand on third. An error by SNU's second baseman on a ball put into play by Susan Edwards allowed Rowland to reach home safely.
 
Malone racked up eight strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work and allowed zero hits and zero runs to improve to 3-1 in the circle this season. SE scattered six hits across six different players and had zero errors on defense.
 
GAME TWO: SE 3, SNU 1
The Savage Storm struck first and early, plating two runs in the bottom of the first to carry a 2-0 lead. Lorryn Johnson, Iliana Olivares and Jazzy Rios had the bases loaded after knocking in a trio of singles, and a single driven through the middle by Trinity Oden plated the first two runs.
 
In the circle, Oden posted four scoreless frames with SE leading 2-0, but was soon under pressure in the fifth. SNU pulled a run back on a pair of hits, but Oden would limit the damage, stranding two runners. SE quickly replied in the bottom half of the frame with a double by Olivares to set up an RBI single from Rios to push the lead back to two runs, 3-1.
 
Oden locked up the Crimson Storm bats in the final two innings, allowing just two hits to help clinch the series win with a 3-1 win. The sophomore threw all 7.0 innings with one run allowed on six hits and five strikeouts to move to 3-4 in the circle. Rios led the lineup with a 3-3 day at the plate and one RBI, while the team racked up eight total knocks.
 
Southeastern (9-11, 4-2 GAC) breaks from GAC action to host St. Edwards in a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday, Mar. 3 at 1 p.m.