Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — Southern Nazarene reached the semifinals of the NFCA-NAIA Lead Off Classic with a 4-3 win over Trevecca Nazarene, but fell 10-3 to No. 4 Central Baptist in the final game of the gold bracket play.
The Crimson Storm (10-8) held off a late charge in the quarterfinals from Trevecca and then ran into a Central Baptist team who ripped four home runs to end the weekend.
Maci-Brooke Lambert (4-3) gave up just one run on six hits in five and one-thirds innings of work and she struck out five. Kaci Crawford also recorded her first save of the year after throwing the final two-thirds and struck out one.
Allison Fields went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the way for Southern Nazarene in the opener.
SNU scored two runs in the bottom of the first with an Aubrey Jones sacrifice fly to center and a bases-loaded walk by Kacey Acker. Trevecca got on the board in the fifth with a run, but SNU answered right back with two in the bottom of the sixth. Acker scored the first run of the inning on Fields' single through the left side before Micah Laughlin scored from third on a wild pitch to give SNU the 4-1 lead.
Trevecca scored two runs with one out on a double to right center and a single to center to cut it to 4-3 and then put a runner on with a walk. Crawford entered the game and then struck out the first batter she faced for the second out and educed a fly ball to left for the final out of the game.
In the final game of the day, Central Baptist hit four home runs and ripped nine hits to score the win. SNU matched CBC in hits, but Jessica Sheldon and Emily Guess combined to allow three runs while scattering those six hits.
Sheldon took the win after going the first four innings and giving up all three runs. Guess shut the storm down in the final three innings, giving up just two hits.
Amy Maddent went 2-for-3 with three RBIs while Kylie Lang went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Jill Clemence also went 2-for-3. Crawford (4-4) took the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, on five hits.
Southern Nazarene will now get set to play Southwestern Christian, Wednesday, for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
