Softball Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader to Clinch Series Over NWOSU

ALVA, Okla. – Southeastern bounces back in games two and three at Northwestern Oklahoma State, sweeping the doubleheader to clinch the series over the Rangers.
 
The Savage Storm took game one of the day 9-5 after exploding for five runs in the sixth and followed with a 2-1 victory in game two.
 
GAME ONE: SE 9, NWOSU 5
The Rangers got the scoring going in the first to take a 1-0 lead and carried their advantage into the fourth before the two sides traded scores. SE tied the game 1-1 in the top half of the fourth after Lorryn Johnson led the inning off with a double. McKenna Simmons followed two batters with a sacrifice hit to plate Johnson for the first run of the game by SE. NWOSU would answer back in the bottom of the fourth with a score to re-establish its advantage 2-1.
 
SE and NWOSU continued to trade runs, as both sides posted two scores in the fifth, with the Storm trailing 4-3. Southeastern would add a score in the sixth, but like the fourth and fifth, Northwestern matched the blue and gold with a run to remain ahead.
 
The Storm soon broke the deadlock open, posting five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-5 edge. Back-to-back singles by Susan Edwards and Jazzy Rios set up the first run, as Tristian Hopkins roped a single to plate Edwards, 5-5. The Storm loaded the bases with a walk by M. Simmons, and Emily Simmons would belt a grand slam over the left-center field wall to push the Storm ahead 9-5.
 
E. Simmons, who came in for relief for starting pitcher Trinity Oden, pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed two hits and zero runs to pick up the win in the circle. Edwards led the lineup with three hits and two runs scored, while Rios notched three hits and two runs batted in.
 
GAME TWO: SE 2, NWOSU 1
Starting pitcher E. Simmons posted back-to-back scoreless innings from in the circle, but a run of scores would fall in the third for both sides. Southeastern plated two runs in the top half of the third behind two hits to take a 2-0 edge. The blue and gold had runners on first and second with no outs, and a base hit by Edwards brought in the first run. The Storm scored their next run on a sacrifice flyout by Rios to bring Johnson home to make it 2-0.
 
The Rangers would have a reply in the bottom half of the third, scoring one run on two hits, and E. Simmons would strand a runner to limit the damage. The runs for both teams would end her, as E. Simmons and NWOUS's Katy Jones allowed zero runs over the next four innings.
 
SE combined for seven hits, led by two hits by both Edwards and E. Simmons. E. Simmons tossed all 7.0 innings and struck out four batters and allowed one run on four hits to earn her second win of the day in the circle and move to 4-4 on the year.
 
Southeastern (12-13, 6-3 GAC) remains on the road with a trip to the Natural State on March 13 and 14 at Arkansas Tech.