BETHANY – Southern Nazarene's softball team hosted conference foe Southeastern Oklahoma State in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson Storm (6-7) came up short in the first game of the day 4-3, but battled back in the nightcap game to take down the Savage Storm (3-1) with a final score of 6-3.
In the first outing of the day, both teams were held scoreless until the fourth inning of the game when
Caitlyn Curlee hit a home run to left field to finally put the Crimson Storm on the scoreboard. The Savage Storm also hit a homerun in the fourth inning to tie the game up at 1-1.
In the fifth inning of play,
Riah Smith hit a double to center field which
Sydney Everhart scored off of to give SNU the lead back at 2-1.
Mahina Sauer hit a single up the middle that scored Everhart to increase the Storm's lead. At the end of an exciting fifth inning, the Storm controlled the game 3-1.
Southeastern went on to score three more runs in the game to take the lead. The Crimson Storm would ultimately lose this outing 4-3.
Brooklyn Sparkman started out in the circle for SNU as she struck out three batters and gave up just three runs.
Hannah Sattler came in relief for SNU in the last inning of action as she allowed just two hits and a run.
Caitlyn Curlee finished game one with an RBI, one hit, and one run scored.
Mahina Sauer had two hits and an RBI as well.
Things changed quickly for Southern Nazarene in the nightcap game as led at one point 6-1 over Southeastern Oklahoma State.
In the first inning, Sauer hit a double to right field, which allowed
Kaley Knox to walk in for SNU's first score of the game. Soon after, Curlee hit a double to left field that scored Sauer which put SNU up 2-0 at the end of the first inning of play.
In the second inning,
Natalie Jones hit a double to center field which
Victoria Rodriguez scored off of. Southeastern also scored a run which put them on the scoreboard. The Crimson Storm controlled the lead 3-1 at the end of the second inning.
At the bottom half of the fourth inning,
Riah Smith hit a double to left field to score Hallie Fellers which put the Crimson Storm up by three runs. Sauer continued to shine in this game as she hit a single to center field to drive in Knox walked and balloon the SNU lead to 5-1.
Brooklyn Sparkman hit a solo home run late in the fifth inning which stretched out the Storm's lead even further. Southeastern scored two more runs in the final half inning, but SNU closed the door to take game two 6-3.
Chelsea Vandiver started out on the rubber for the Crimson Storm and she earned her second victory of the season. She allowed just three runs and struck out a batter. Madi Arnold came in for relief for the Crimson Storm and allowed just two hits to earn her first save of the season.
Mahina Sauer had two RBI, two hits, and also scored a run.
Natalie Jones had one RBI and two hits for the Crimson Storm Storm.
Brooklyn Sparkman also shined at the plate in this game as she had one RBI, two hits, and scored a run.
Southern Nazarene hosts Southeastern Oklahoma State again tomorrow afternoon to close out the season series. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
