Malone Tosses No-Hitter in Game One, Storm Split Twin Bill at East Central

ADA, Okla. – Southeastern splits its doubleheader with East Central on Sunday, winning game one 10-0 before falling 8-0 in the rubber match.
 
The Savage Storm (20-27, 12-17 GAC) closes out the season on the road at Ouachita Baptist on May 1-2.
 
GAME ONE: SE 10, ECU 0
Southeastern opened the scoring during the top of the second and would plate four runs to take an early 4-0 lead. SE had its first three batters all reach safety to load the bases with no outs, and Susan Edwards would rope a two-run double into left-center field for the first two runs. On the next at-bat, Tristan Hopkins brought in two more runs on a single hit into left center field to plate the final runs of the frame.
 
The Storm carried their fast start into the fourth, where the blue and gold exploded for six runs to push their gap to 10-0. Iliana Olivares worked a walk for the first baserunner of the inning, and Emily Simmons quickly brought her home on an RBI double hit into right field. E. Simmons would score the next run to extend the Storm's lead to 6-0 on a single by Laci Larsen. SE soon had the bases loaded, and Keegan Rowland blasted a grand slam for her first home run of the season.
 
Matching SE's offensive explosion, Alyson Malone was equally as good in the circle through four innings, allowing just one baserunner on a walk, while getting a pair of strikeouts. Malone continued to deal into the fifth inning, retiring the side in order to complete her second no-hitter of the season. The junior finished with four strikeouts to improve to 8-7 on the year in the circle.
 
GAME TWO: ECU 8, SE 0
The Storm applied pressure early and looked to scratch in the first run in the opening frame with two runners on after a walk by Olivares and a hit by Tally Rowland, but the breakthrough hit would not come for SE. Both sides were held scoreless through the first three innings, but the Tigers' bats soon heated up, starting with a run scored in the fourth.
 
ECU soon broke things open in the fifth, plating seven runs to push ahead 8-0 and secure the win. Malone got her second start of the day and went 4.1 frames and fell to 8-8 this season after allowing two runs on six hits. T. Rowland recorded the only two hits for SE, while ECU chained together nine.