OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene came into the last week of the season needing a win in more ways than one and got it with an 8-6 win over Oklahoma Christian, Thursday night at Dobson Field.
The Crimson Storm (16-24, 8-20 SAC) rallied back from being down 3-1 in the first inning to pull off the win and snapped a three-game skid.
Southern Nazarene took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Adam Bies hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Derek Glenn, but Oklahoma Christian answered with three in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead. Alex Hill's double down the right field line brought the Storm within one before SNU took the lead for good in the top of third with four runs.
Tanner Roberson drove in the first run with a single to left before Hill drove in his second run of the game with another single to left. Chase Glaum put the Storm up 6-3 with a single to center that scored both Roberson and Hill.
OC cut it to 6-5 in the fourth, but SNU got a run each in the fifth and sixth to lead 8-5. Roberson hit his first home run of the year in the fifth before Williams singled to center to sore Austin Samulowitz in the sixth. The Eagles tried to rally in the sixth, but could only push one run across.
Jake Bidelman picked up his first save of the year after he did not allow a hit in four innings of work and struck out seven. He came on in relief of Garrett Callan (1-2) who picked up the win after throwing the first five innings for SNU. He allowed six runs on seven hits and fanned two.
Glaum went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and tied the school record for stolen bases in a career with 37. Roberson also drove in a pair of runs along with Alex Hill as both went 2-for-4. Adam Bies also had a 2-for-4 day at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.
SNU will now host Oklahoma Christian, Saturday, for a 1 p.m. doubleheader to close out the 2011 season.
