BETHANY – Southern Nazarene's softball team kicked off their weekend series with Harding on Friday at Cypert Athletic Complex in big fashion, run-ruling HU 12-3 led by a big day at the plate.
10 hits and four home runs led the way for the Crimson Storm (11-13, 9-6 GAC) as they used the opening two innings to run away with the game. The Bisons (15-5, 8-4 GAC) pushed all three of their runs across the plate in the fifth inning to try and make it a game, but SNU closed the door to take the first game of the weekend.
Brooklyn Sparkman was sensational for Southern Nazarene as she earned her seventh victory of the season in the circle for the Storm. The GAC's current strikeout leader pitched four scoreless innings and struck out a pair. She gave up three runs in the fifth, two earned. At the plate, Sparkman finished 2-for-2 with two RBI's, one home-run, and one run scored. Joining Sparkman with home runs was
Skye Ah Yat who also went 2-for-2,
Caitlyn Curlee who finished 1-for-2 with two RBI's, and
Brooklyn Sullivan whose three RBI were a team-high.
Sydney Sundbye was also perfect at the dish with a 2-for-2 with two RBI's and two runs scored.
Mahina Sauer and
Riah Smith also added hits for SNU in the contest as well.
The fireworks started in the first inning as Southern Nazarene scored half of their runs in the opening frame.
Skye Ah Yat got the party started with a solo-shot to left field to give the Storm the early 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Sparkman's two-run missile to left center scored Curlee to push SNU's advantage to 3-0. A few batters later, Sullivan launched a three-run bomb to left center scoring
Victoria Rodriguez and Sundbye to balloon the lead to 6-0.
Curlee wanted her share in the bottom of the second as she blasted a two-run homer to give SNU an 8-0 lead. The Crimson Storm added four more insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth when Sparkman's single scored
Sydney Everhart to make it 9-0. Sundbye doubled to center field which drove in
Morgan Brannon and
Emma Nightengale to push it to 11-0.
Riah Smith topped it off with a single to right field that scored Sundbye which gave SNU a 12-0 advantage heading into the final inning.
Harding pushed three runs across the plate to make it interesting, but
Chelsea Vandiver came out of the bullpen and closed the door on any comeback from the Bisons.
Southern Nazarene will close out the series with Harding tomorrow afternoon in a doubleheader kicking off at 12:00 p.m.
