BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The last time Katelyn Brown faced Henderson State in the Great American Conference Championships, she survived a 16-inning marathon in a game where she threw over 250 pitches. Wednesday, the All-GAC First Team selection needed just 87 pitches and led Southern Nazarene to its first opening-round win in program history.
 
After each of the four meetings this season with the Reddies (32-24, 24-20 GAC) were decided by two runs or fewer, the postseason matchup at Tiger Athletic Complex was no different as the Crimson Storm (25-26-1, 21-18-1 GAC) rallied from being down 1-0 late to score the 2-1 win. The pitchers had it going on both sides, as SNU tallied just three hits while Brown held HSU to just one.
 
Brown's 11 strikeouts in the game marks the fourth time this year she's hit double-digits, and the 12^th time this season she's held the opponent to one hit or fewer. She also drove in a run en route to a 1-for-3 finish at the plate for the Storm.
 
Caitlyn Curlee recorded the other RBI in the game, as the freshman delivered in her first career postseason game and finished 1-for-3 at the plate. Kriston Shumaker notched the other hit for SNU, as the senior went 1-for-3 at the dish. Kaley Knox and Cheyenne Reynolds each had a run scored as well for the Storm.
 
Henderson State got things going in the bottom of the second, as they scored a run to take a 1-0 lead. Three full innings went by before Southern Nazarene got its bats going.
 
Brown ripped a double to right field in the top of the sixth that scored Knox to tie the game at 1-1. Curlee then singled later in the inning to score Reynolds as the Crimson Storm led 2-1.
 
The Reddies got a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh as they tried to tie the game, but Brown closed the door to pickup her 17^th win of the season.