BETHANY, Okla. — After Southern Arkansas went 12-0 to start the year and had nine shutouts on the year, Southern Nazarene handed SAU its first loss of the year with a 10-2 run rule in the first game of a doubleheader.
 
The Crimson Storm (6-9, 1-5 GAC) dropped the second game to the Muleriders, (13-1, 5-1 GAC) 8-5.
 
Kayla Wyatt became just the third pitcher in school history to reach the 500 career strikeout mark as the senior struck out 10 and gave up just two runs on run hit in five innings of work in the opening game. She hit the 500 mark with her seventh strikeout of the game.
 
The Storm struck first in the bottom first when Hannah LeBeau ripped a triple to right center to score Sydni Toilolo as SNU took a 1-0 lead. The Muleriders though added two in the top of the third on a two-run shot to left to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Southern Nazarene answered right back in the bottom half of the inning when LeBeau launched her second home of the year with a 3-run blast to left center to put SNU up 4-2. The Crimson Storm unloaded in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of two-run shots. Sam Smith hit the first to put SNU up 6-2 with her fourth of the year before Toilolo ripped her fifth of the year to give Southern Nazarene an 8-2 lead.
 
SNU put it away in the fifth with two more runs to get the run rule. Tristyn Short scored the first run of the inning on a fielder's choice before Cheyenne Reynolds scored on a Kriston Shumaker sacrifice fly.
 
LeBeau went 2-for-3 in the game with four RBIs and a run scored. Toilolo went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored.
 
Southern Arkansas opened the second game of the doubleheader with four runs in the top of the first. The Storm got one back in the bottom of the second when Kyndall Freer-Christopher laced a double into center to score Jill Clemence.
 
The Muleriders added another in the top of the third on a solo home run to right field, but the Storm answered back in the bottom half. Toilolo hit a solo home run to dead center to score the first run before Freer-Christopher roped a line drive to third to make it 5-3 at the end of the third.
 
SAU pushed it to 6-3 in the top of the fifth, but the Storm got two back in the bottom of the fifth when LeBeau launched her second home run of the day with a two-run shot to left center to make it 6-5. The Muleriders added another in the top of the sixth and seventh innings to take an 8-5 lead and held on from there.
 
LeBeau continued her hot streak in the second game as she went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Clemence went a perfect 3-for-3 with a run scored while Jessica Thompson and Freer-Christopher each went 2-for-3. Freer-Christopher drove in a pair of runs.