ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - The Southern Nazarene softball team scored 17 runs on Saturday afternoon as they earned a road doubleheader sweep over Ouachita, winning 7-0 and 10-7.
In the first contest, SNU got things rolling with a bang in the top of the second as
Hailie Fellers smacked a home run to put the Crimson Storm ahead 2-0. One inning later,
Mahina Sauer stepped into the box and singled to score another run and push the lead 3-0.
All this time,
Brooklyn Sparkman kept Ouachita off the board and kept SNU well ahead.
Cheyenne Laguna would make an appearance in the latter half and put together a terrific outing to close ou the game.
In the sixth, still leading 3-0, Sauer aided the lead with a two run jack to put SNU in complete control at 5-0. RBI walks to
Riley Kalman and
Caitlyn Curlee in the seventh got the game to 7-0.
Sparkman (W, 6-0) would pitch 4.2 innings, allowing one hit with two strikeouts while Laguna pitched 2.1 innings, allowing on hit as well to go with a strikeout.
Sauer was 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI while Fellers was 1-for-4 with a homerun and two RBI.
Peyton Robinson added a 1-for-4 day with two runs scored.
In game two, SNU jumped out to a 3-0 after
Kaley Knox and
Kai Sanchez each reached base. That set up Kalman with one down who ripped a three run bomb for the early lead.
Ouachita got one back in the bottom half, but SNU made it 4-1 in the second after a Sauer double to push the lead to 4-1. However, the Tigers finally broke through in the bottom of the second with a four run inning to move ahead 5-4.
SNU stayed calm and cool as back-to-back doubles from Sanchez and Sauer evened teh game at five a piece. One batter later, Curlee reached on an error, scoring another run and giving SNU the lead back at 6-5.
After a tough start for Caitlyn Lewis, Sparkman came in relief and shut down the Ouachita offense, only allowing three hits in 5.1 innings of work.
She got some major help from the SNU offense in the seventh inning as Sauer had another RBI double while Kalman stepped in with two on and unloaded on another pitch, sending her second home run of the game over the wall to make it 10-5.
Sparkman (W, 7-0), despite allowing two runs in the bottom half, closed out the Tigers to earn tehe Saturday sweep.
Kalman finished with 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored, and six RBI while Sauer was 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. Sanchez added a 2-for-4 day with a double, three runs scored, and a stolen back while Robinson was also 2-for-4 with a double. Knox added a 2-for-5 day with a double, a stolen base, and three runs scored.
SNU goes to 10-7 overall and 5-1 in the GAC. They will go for the series and possiblty a four game sweep as they have a doubleheader with Ouachita beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
