LUBBOCK, Texas - The Southern Nazarene softball team opened up their 2019 season on Friday afternoon as they split a pair of contests at the TAJ Hospitality College Softball Kickoff, defeating Western New Mexico in a crazy 16-14 game before falling later that day to Midwestern State by the score of 12-4 (6).
In game one, the Crimson Storm jumped all over the Mustangs in the first three innings.
Kaley Knox led things off in the top of the first with a walk and proceeded to steal second and third as an error by the WNMU catcher brought her home and gave SNU a 1-0 lead without even collecting a hit.
In the second,
Victoria Rodriguez forced a walk before
Kendal Stockstill stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run homer to center to put SNU ahead 3-0 in the early going.
Brooklyn Sparkman was off to a great start, getting two scoreless innings to maintain the lead.
The Storm took complete control in the third inning as they exploded for 10 runs in the inning. SNU loaded the bases with nobody out on a hit by pitch as well as singles from
Kai Sanchez and
Skye Ah Yat. Rodriguez ripped a single to left to score two while Stockstill picked up another RBI on a ground out.
After an error,
Jacey James stepped into the box and ripped a double into left center, scoring two more, and increasing the lead to 8-0. One batter later, another run scored on a fielder's choice followed by a sac fly from
Caitlyn Curlee. Sanchez came back around and blasted a two run shot to left to make it 12-0 while Stockstill picked up her fourth RBI of the game with a RBI double to center to make it 13-0.
Things turned on its head in the bottom of the third as Western New Mexico plated six to get within eight runs, but
Hailie Fellers got the lead back to eight on a RBI triple to left. However, a 3-run homer from the Mustangs got it to 14-9 followed by another run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 14-10.
In the sixth, Sanchez got her RBI total to four as she drove two in on a RBI double to get the lead to 16-10. However, another home run from WNMU got it back to 16-12 and in the seventh, the Mustangs got the go-ahead run on first as they loaded the bases with two outs, down 16-13.
Sparkman got a sac fly and a fly out to end the game and give SNU an opening day win, 16-14.
Sparkman (W, 1-0) pitched 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits to go with six strikeouts and a walk. Offensively, Sanchez finished 3-for-4 with a double, home runs, four RBIs, and two runs scored while Ah Yat was also 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Stockstill was 2-for-5 with a double, home run, and four RBI.
Knox scored a pair of runs to go with three stolen bases while Fellers and
Reilly Schlarb were each 1-for-1 off the bench.
Alicia Habitzreuther led the Mustangs, going for 3-for-5 with six RBIs and two runs scored while Carolyn Castillo was 2-for-4 with a pair of homers. Julia Vega (L, 0-1) took the loss for WNMU.
The Crimson Storm took on a second set of Mustangs in Midwestern State in game two. A grand slam in the top of the first put SNU in a hole as they spotted MSU five runs, trailing 5-0 early on.
A RBI single from
Peyton Robinson and a sac fly from
Mahina Sauer closed the gap to 5-2 after two complete, but Midwestern got four more runs in the third to push back ahead 9-2. James would launch a solo shot in the fourth while Curlee added a RBI single to make it 9-4.
However, in the top of the sixth, the Mustangs plated three more runs and ended it in six, defeating SNU 12-4 (6).
Robinson finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored as Curlee was 1-for-3 with a RBI. Ah Yat scored a pair of walks to go with a run scored while James had the solo shot. Knox had the only other hit for SNU in the contest.
Sauer (L, 0-1) took the loss, only going 2.0 innings. She only allowd two earned runs, but a total of eight crossed the plate on seven hits. Abbie Lancaster (W, 1-0) was credited with a win as she pitched all six innings, striking out seven.
Misty Muniz led MSU wiht 3-for-4 day including two home runs, one being a grand slam, a double, seven RBIs, and three runs scored.
SNU starts the year at 1-1 and will be back in action in Lubbock tomorrow. They begin things at 11 AM against Texas-Permian Basin before taking on the host school Lubbock Christian at 1:30.
