Southeastern Splits Day Two with 7-0 Win Over Washburn

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern split the second day of action at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic with a 7-0 win over Washburn in game two behind a career-high 10 strikeouts from Alyson Malone.

The Savage Storm (4-5) wraps up the Alvy Early Memorial Classic tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. against Maryville. 
 
GAME ONE: StMU 5, SE 3
SE fell behind 2-0 to the Rattlers, despite recording four hits across the first three innings. However, the Storm soon found their breakthrough in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs. Tristan Hopkins and McKenna Simmons knocked in back-to-back singles before a pair of errors from StMU on a ball put in play by Tally Rowland would score Hopkins and Simmons, 2-2.
 
Southeastern and St. Mary's traded runs in the fifth, with the Rattlers scoring a run in the top half before a solo home run by India McMurray kept it a tie game, 3-all. The SE bats cooled off in the following inning, which allowed the Rattlers to break the deadlock and take a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. Southeastern was quickly down to its final out with runners on first and second, and StMU would hold off the rally with a final punchout.
 
The Storm out hit St. Mary's 12-8 and held the advantage in errors with one to the Rattlers two – both resulted in runs for each team. Iliana Olivares led the team with three hits, while McMurray recorded two, including a solo home run. Emily Simmons fell to 0-3 in the circle, pitching all 7.0 frames and recording four strikeouts with four earned runs allowed on eight hits.
 
GAME TWO: SE 7, WU 0
Southeastern took the lead in the top of the second on a four-run inning with four hits behind a strong start in the circle from Malone. SE had the bases loaded with two outs, and a single by Hopkins drove in the first two runs before a double by E. Simmons plated two more, 4-0.
 
Malone held Washburn to two hits in the bottom half of the second, and the Ichabods would tally just one hit the rest of the game, while Malone struck out seven, facing the minimum in the fourth and fifth frames. This allowed the blue and gold bats to add to the lead in the top of the sixth after three scoreless frames and stretch the gap to 7-0.
 
The Storm had runners on first and second with Hopkins and E. Simmons reaching safely on a fielder's choice and single, respectively. On the fourth at-bat of the inning, McMurray tallied her second home run of the day at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic, sending a three-run shot over the center field.
 
Malone earned her first win of the season, pitching a complete game shutout with a career-high ten strikeouts. Washburn tallied four hits against the senior, while the Storm finished with 13, led by three hits from McMurray and E. Simmons. The pair combined for five RBIs, and Susan Edwards and Anley Hewitt would finish with two hits each.