BETHANY - The Southern Nazarene softball team held a lead in both games of the doubleheader against Harding on Friday afternoon at Cypert Athletic Complex, but the lead with not withstand as the Bisons would rally to defeat the Crimson Storm 12-2 and 6-4.
In the first inning of game one, SNU got a pair of singles and a walk to
Mahina Sauer to load the bases up with no outs.
Riley Kalman got the scoring started with a RBI single while
Skye Ah Yat followed with a sac fly to right to put SNU ahead 2-0. A pair of strikeouts would end the threat at only two runs.
SNU would load them up again with one out in the third inning, but the Crimson Storm were a little unlucky as
Kai Sanchez scorched a liner into the glove of Lauren Bazan for a double play to end the inning.
Brooklyn Sparkman looked dominant through three innings, but Harding began to scatter hits and exploded for five runs in the fourth inning to leap frog the Crimson Storm.
Harding added one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and four in the seventh to suddenly take a 12-2 lead over SNU as the relief staff could not get any rhythm going.
Sparkman (L, 10-3) took the loss after 4.1 innings pitched, allowing six runs on eight hits despite striking out four. Three different relievers saw action for SNU. Jenna Hipp (W, 7-3) would go the distance and get the win for Harding.
Sauer led the way with a 2-for-3 day and a walk while Kalman 2-for-4 with a RBI.
Hailie Fellers came off the bench and laced a RBI double off the center field wall.
Peyton Mills led the Bisons, going 3-for-5 with two RBI while Kyndal Pirtle added a 2-for-5 day with three RBI and two runs scored.
In game two, Harding got the early lead on a RBI single, but SNU came out aggressive at the plate, notching eight hits in the first three innings.
SNU tied the game at one on a RBI single from
Reilly Schlarb in the second and pushed two more across in the third on RBI singles from
Caitlyn Curlee and Ah Yat.
However, Harding again got hot later in the contest as they got one back in the fourth and two more in the fifth to move back ahead 4-3. The Bisons followed with a run in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 6-3 going into the final inning.
Curlee drove another run in on a sac fly and the go-ahead run would come to the plate, but Emma Dwyer closed the door for the save.
Lewis (L, 2-5) took the loss in the cirlce in 4.2 innings pitched while Sparkman pitched the remaining 2.1 innings. Kymberlyn Baldwin (W, 4-1) got the win in relief.
Kalman was 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored while
Kaley Knox was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Briley Feringa led Harding with a 3-for-3 day and two RBI.
SNU moves to 15-14 overall and 10-8 in the GAC. They will need a repeat of last weekend where they swept Saturday as they take on the Bisons in the doubleheader finale tomorrow afternoon beginning at 12 p.m.
