OKLAHOMA CITY - The Southern Nazarene softball team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and extended it out to a seven run lead while using a strong pitching performance to hold off any sort of Washburn rally in a 7-4 win over the Ichabods.
With one out in the first,
Jacey James drew a walk while
Mahina Sauer followed with a single through the right side. That brought up
Skye Ah Yat who smacked a double over the right fielder's head to give SNU a 1-0 lead.
The very next at bat saw
Riley Kalman step into the box and put together an excellent at bat, fouling off numerous pitches until she got what she wanted. And what she proceeded to do is lace a three run bomb over the left field wall to put the Crimson Storm up 4-0.
Brooklyn Sparkman took the circle and was superb in the early goings, shutting down the Washburn lineup through four innings of work.
She got some more help from her offense in the fourth inning as
Hailie Fellers stepped up with two down and found a gap, doubling to right center and scoring two runs to push the lead out to 6-0.
In the seventh,
Peyton Robinson led the inning off with a short dribbler she beat out for a single. She proceeded to steal second followed by third. James stepped up with one down and executed a perfect suicide squeeze to give SNU a 7-0 lead through four.
In the fifth, Sparkman gave up her first run of the game and saw her day come to a close after a brilliant performance. Sparkman (W, 2-1) pitched four complete, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four batters.
With nobody down at the time following a three run homer to make it a 7-4 game,
Cheyenne Laguna entered the game and put a stop to the Ichabod rally, keeping the lead at three.
Laguna (S, 1) went on to close out the final three innings, only allowing two hits and striking out one batter to earn her first career save in a SNU uniform and the Crimson Storm the 7-4 win, snapping a four game losing streak.
Kalman finished 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBI, and two runs scored while Fellers was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. James was 0-for-1 with two walks, a RBI, and a run scored while Sauer, Ah Yat, Peyton, and
Caitlyn Curlee each had a run scored.
SNU moves to 3-5 overall and will look to carry that momentum into week two of the UCO/OC Festival. The Crimson Storm will take on Lubbock Christian followed by Colorado Christian beginning at 11 a.m. at Broncho Softball Field in Edmond.
