CHOCTAW, Okla. – The Southern Nazarene softball team was finally back in action Sunday, as they hosted games at Bouse Sports Complex on the turf field while theirs recovered from the historic snowstorm. SNU split the Sunday twin bill with an 8-0 run rule win over Pittsburg State and a 3-2 loss to Fort Hays State.
In the opener against the Gorillas (1-1), the Crimson Storm (1-5) finally got their bats going as they racked up a season-high 10 hits in the dominant performance. Senior pitcher
Brooklyn Sparkman got the nod in the circle and delivered a spectacular outing. She tossed her first shutout of the season and her second complete game of the year, racking up nine strikeouts and allowing just two hits and one walk out of PSU.
Natalie Jones starred at the plate for the Storm as she finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run scored and one triple. Joining Jones with multiple hits in the contest was
Caitlyn Curlee,
Skye Ah Yat, and
Victoria Rodriguez as Curlee finished with one RBI and one run scored while Ah Yat and Rodriguez each scored a run as well.
Mahina Sauer finished 1-for-3 at the dish with one RBI, while
Hailie Fellers also recorded hit for SNU as well.
Southern Nazarene's fireworks started in the second inning as Fellers scored when Sparkman reached on a fielder's choice to give SNU the early 1-0 lead. The next batter Jones blasted a 3 RBI triple to right field that scored
Emma Nightengale, Sparkman, and Ah Yat to balloon the Storm's lead to 4-0. Later in the fourth inning, SNU added four more runs when Sauer singled to left that scored Rodriguez to make it 5-0. Later, Curlee's single drove in Jones to make it 6-0, and Fellers' single scored Curlee and Camryn Alexander to push their advantage to 8-0.
Pitt State had one final chance in the top of the fifth, but Sparkman and the Storm defense closed the door as the senior earned her first victory of the season.
In the nightcap game,
Chelsea Vandiver got the start in the circle for Southern Nazarene against the Tigers (2-4) as she took her third loss of the season. The Crimson Storm never could get their bats going as they tallied just five hits in the game. The Tigers were red-hot tallying 12 hits in the game, but the Storm defense limited their scoring opportunities and were able to stay in the game.
Mahina Sauer led the way at the dish for SNU going 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored while
Caitlyn Curlee also tallied an RBI with a 1-for-2 finish at the plate.
Natalie Jones,
Brooklyn Sullivan, and
Riah Smith were the only other Storm hitters to register a hit as Jones also scored a run for SNU as well.
Hannah Sattler came on to relieve Vandiver in the circle and the freshman had a solid showing, allowing just four hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Fort Hays State wasted no time in getting on the board in the top of the first as they pushed one run across to take a 1-0 lead. SNU answered right back in the bottom of the first when Sauer doubled to right field, scoring Jones to tie it up 1-1. Curlee came right back with a single to left center that scored Sauer to give SNU the 2-1 lead. Fort Hays pushed two more runs across in the third inning to re-take the lead at 3-2. Both teams cranked up the defense as neither team scored any more runs for the rest of the game. The Storm had a chance in the bottom of the seventh with an early base runner, but the Tigers closed the door and snuck away with the win.
Southern Nazarene will wrap up the UCO/OC Festival with two more games tomorrow against Nebraska-Kearney and Newman. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in their opener and 5:30 p.m. in their nightcap.
