LUBBOCK, Texas – Southern Nazarene's softball team split the pair of games on day two of the Lubbock Invitational with a 9-5 loss to Fort Hays State and a 9-8 win over Newman on Saturday.
Chelsea Vandiver got the start in the opener against the Tigers (2-1) as she took her first loss of the season. She allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits and struck out two in 3.1 innings of action.
Courtney Cox,
Madison Arnold, and
Caitlin Lewis all saw time in relief for SNU as well.
The Crimson Storm (3-1) tried to make things interesting as they entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 9-2 and managed to push three runs across to put a little pressure on FHSU. Senior
Kai Sanchez led the way at the plate for SNU as she finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored while
Hailie Fellers notched the Storm's only other RBI, as she also went 2-for-4 with a home run.
Peyton Robinson had another strong performance at the plate in the opener as she finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Victoria Rodriguez also added a hit for SNU as well.
Fort Hays State wasted no time in getting on the board as they scored twice in the top of the first to take the quick 2-0 lead. Southern Nazarene chipped into that lead in the bottom of the third when Sanchez reached first on a wild pitch that scored Robinson to make it 2-1.
The Tigers came back in the top of the fourth by tacking on a couple more runs to push their advantage to 4-1, before Fellers solo-shot to right field cut the deficit to 4-2. Fort Hays State added one run in the fifth and the sixth before tacking on three in the seventh to push their lead to 9-2. SNU needed a miracle in the last half-inning as
Morgan Brannon scored on a throwing error to make it 9-3. Sanchez's single scored Robinson to cut it to 9-4 before Sanchez later scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-5. The Tigers were having no more as they silenced SNU and took the game.
Brooklyn Sparkman got the start in the circle for Southern Nazarene in the nightcap game against Newman, but had short work, pitching just 0.2 innings.
Caitlin Lewis,
Chelsea Vandiver, and Madi Arnold all saw relief as Arnold picked up the save for the Crimson Storm.
It was
Jacey James' turn to lead the way at the plate for SNU as she launched her second home run of the season while going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Caitlyn Curlee finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored while
Raegan Roten went 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored as well.
Mahina Sauer also finished the game with an RBI for SNU.
Just like the opener on Saturday, Southern Nazarene couldn't get their defense going in the opening inning as Newman racked up three runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 3-0 lead. The Crimson Storm didn't just respond in a big way in the top of the second, they did something not many teams in the nation can do. Their bats exploded as they piled on eight runs to take an 8-3 lead. The Jets bounced back with a run in the bottom of the second to cut it to 8-4 through two complete.
After a scoreless third inning, Newman tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the SNU lead to 8-5, before SNU pushed it to 9-5 in the sixth courtesy of a sacrifice fly RBI from Sauer. The Jets scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make SNU sweat a bit, but Arnold came on in the seventh to close the door on any Newman comeback.
Southern Nazarene will wrap up the Lubbock Invitational on Sunday as they take on Chadron State at 12:00 p.m. followed by Texas Permian-Basin at 3:00 p.m.
