WEATHERFORD, Okla. — Southern Nazarene closed out the series against Southwestern Oklahoma State with a pair of wins Saturday, as it won 9-1 in the first game, and 10-5 in the final game of the doubleheader.
The Crimson Storm (14-20, 10-12 GAC) finished the weekend on a strong note, as they have now won four of their last five games. They earned their third run-rule win of the season in the opening game, as their bats came alive. They scored at least one run in all five innings and tallied 10 hits in the game. Four players recorded at least two hits in the game for SNU.
Sydni Toilolo led the way at the plate for the Storm as the senior went 2-for-3 with two home-runs and three RBI's.
Kriston Shumaker finished 1-for-2 with a couple of RBI's, while
Mahina Sauer went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Victoria Rodriguez scored a couple of runs and also went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Katelyn Brown finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored as well.
Brown got the start in the circle for Southern Nazarene, as the senior earned her eighth win of the year. She pitched the full five innings, and struck out five SWOSU batters, and her only blemish was one earned run on the day.
The Storm took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Rodriguez scored on a throwing error, and then
Riley Brown drove in
Katelyn Brown to get things started. Shumaker was caught stealing in the second, but that wound up scoring
Kai Sanchez to make it 3-0 in the second inning, before Sauer singled to drive in Rodriguez that made it a 4-0 lead for SNU.
SWOSU got one run in the bottom of the second to make it 4-1, but that was the closest the Bulldogs (6-28, 6-20 GAC) came the rest of the way. Toilolo sent a solo shot over the left field fence to make it 5-1, then Shumaker grounded out to second that scored Sanchez to give the Storm a 6-1 lead through three innings. Toilolo's two-run homer in the fourth pushed their lead to 8-1, before Shumaker doubled in the fifth inning to score Sanchez to make it 9-1, and SNU cruised from there.
Brooke Tate got the start for the Storm in the final game of the series, as she pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two earned runs.
Katelyn Brown came in relief and earned her ninth win on the year, as she struck out seven and didn't allow a run in 5.1 innings of work.
Caitlyn Curlee propelled the Storm with her two RBI's, as the freshman went 1-for-3 at the plate.
Sydni Toilolo picked up right where she left off in the first game, as she finished 1-for-1 with a triple and two RBI's. She also scored three runs in the game.
Riley Brown went 1-for-4 with an RBI, while
Mahina Sauer also went 1-for-4 and had a run scored.
Like the opener, SNU got things going in the top of the first when Sauer reached on a fielder's choice that scored
Cheyenne Reynolds to make it 1-0. Later in the inning, Curlee singled to right field that scored Toilolo and Sauer to give the Storm a 3-0 lead. SWOSU was able to score one run in the bottom of the first to make it 3-1.
The Bulldogs' bats exploded in the bottom of the second, as they pushed four runs across the plate to take their first lead of the game 5-3 through two innings. But SNU came right back in the top of the third, as they scored three to re-take the lead 6-5. Shumaker reached on a fielding error that scored
Jacey James, Toilolo, and Sanchez.
Toilolo tripled to right field in the top of the fourth that scored two runs to push the SNU lead to 8-5. Sanchez then scored Toilolo on a bunt that made it a 9-5 lead for the Storm.
Riley Brown cranked her third home run of the season in the top of the sixth, a solo-shot that increased the SNU lead to 10-5, and that was the last run scored of the game for either team.
