TUCSON, Ariz. — Southern Nazarene closed out the Cactus Classic on Sunday with an 11-1 loss to Lubbock Christian, a 17-5 win over Franklin Pierce, and a 6-5 loss to Dixie State.
 
The Crimson Storm scored just one run in the opener, as the Chaps scored at least one run in every inning except one. LCU got on the board first in the top of the first, but SNU tied it in the bottom of the second when Mahina Sauer cranked her first home run of the season.
 
The Chaps regained the lead in the top of the third by scoring a couple of runs, and then added two more in the fourth to push their lead to 5-1. LCU extended their lead even further in the sixth, as they tallied six runs on five hits to lead 11-1. The deficit was then too much for the Storm to overcome in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Katelyn Brown got the start in the circle for Southern Nazarene as she took her third loss of the season. She struck out two, while giving up six runs, four of those earned, on six hits. Sauer finished 1-for-2 in the first game Sunday, while Katelyn Brown, Kai Sanchez, and Kriston Shumaker also went 1-for-2 in the game. Jacey James was 1-for-3 at the plate as well.
 
Southern Nazarene's bats came alive in a big way in game two of the day, as it tallied a season-high 15 hits in the five-inning win over Franklin Pierce. Brooke Tate got the start for SNU in the circle, as the senior got her first win of the season while also throwing her first complete game of the year. She had one strikeout and allowed five runs, but just one of those was earned.
 
Five players recorded at least two hits for the Storm, as they had it going early against the Ravens. SNU scored six runs in the bottom of the first on five hits. After a couple of RBI's from Sydni Toilolo and Kai Sanchez to give the Storm an early lead, Reilly Schlarb smacked a double to left center to score three more.
 
Kriston Shumaker ripped a double down the left field line to bring in one more as the Storm took a 6-0 lead after the first inning. Franklin Pierce came right back in the top of the second to cut the SNU lead in half with three runs, before Toilolo came back with an RBI double in the bottom of the second to push their lead back to 7-3.
 
That was the closest that the Ravens came though as Riley Brown ripped a two-RBI triple down the right field line in the fourth inning to make it 9-3. Sanchez knocked in Brown two batters later to make it 10-3, and that was just the beginning. Southern Nazarene would go on to score seven more runs in the fourth inning to push their lead to 17-3. They tallied 10 runs in just the fourth alone.
 
Franklin Pierce had to score at least four runs in the top of the fifth to avoid the run-rule, as the Ravens did manage to knock two in. The Storm defense held strong as the win was SNU's largest margin of victory this season.
 
Four players had at least three RBI's in the game as Sydni Toilolo was one of them. She went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, and also scored a run. Kai Sanchez was 2-for-4 with three RBI's and two runs scored, while Riley Brown went 2-for-3 with three RBI's as well. Reilly Schlarb knocked in three RBI's for SNU too, as she finished 1-for-2.
 
Jacey James went 2-for-4 with two RBI's and two runs scored, and Katelyn Brown went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Cheyenne Reynolds notched an RBI as well, as the senior went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Kriston Shumaker and Caitlyn Curlee both went 1-for-2 at the plate and also each scored a run.
 
In the final game against Dixie State, the Crimson Storm scored five runs on just five hits. Despite not getting their first hit of the game until the third inning, SNU was able to score three runs in the top of the first.
 
Jacey James scored on a wild pitch, Brooke Stutz was hit by a wild pitch with the bases loaded, and Kendal Stockstill was walked with the bases loaded as the Storm took a 3-0 lead early.
 
The Trailblazers came back in the bottom of the first to score a run to make it 3-1, and DSU added two more in the second to tie the game 3-3. SNU regained the lead in the third after Brooke Stutz drove in Kai Sanchez to make it 4-3.
 
But again, DSU came back and tied things up in the fifth inning, before James launched her first home run of the season to give the Storm a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth. The Trailblazers tied things up in the bottom of the sixth at 5-5, and then scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Katelyn Brown took her fourth loss of the year for SNU as the senior struck out three, and gave up six runs, all earned in 6.2 innings. She also went 1-for-3 at the plate. James went 1-for-2 and scored two runs. Stutz finished 1-for-3 at the plate with two RBI's.