BETHANY – The wins are starting to rack up in a hurry for Southern Nazarene's softball team, as they completed the season sweep of Oklahoma Baptist on Tuesday with an 8-5 victory at Cypert Athletic Complex in dramatic fashion.
After taking the first two games of the series earlier this season in Shawnee, SNU looked to sweep their second straight GAC opponent in howling wind conditions in Bethany.
Caitlyn Curlee stole the show in the bottom of the seventh with her first walk-off home run of the season, a 3-run bomb over the left field wall, to give the Crimson Storm (16-14, 14-7 GAC) their seventh win in their last eight games. SNU scored all eight of their runs in the final three innings as three homers propelled them over the Bison (15-13, 10-11 GAC). Senior
Brooklyn Sparkman got the start in the circle for the Storm as she tossed 6.1 innings and struck out six hitters on seven hits and four runs, one of those earned.
Chelsea Vandiver came out of the bullpen and earned her fifth victory of the season.
Curlee led the way at the plate for Southern Nazarene with a 3-for-4 finish. She tallied three RBI's to go with one run scored and her walk-off homer. Both
Mahina Sauer and
Hailie Fellers each finished the game with multiple hits and a home run each as well. Sauer went 2-for-4 with three RBI's and two runs scored while Fellers finished 2-for-2 with two RBI's and two runs.
Skye Ah Yat went 1-for-3 with a run scored while
Sydney Sundbye finished 1-for-1 and scoring a run as well.
Oklahoma Baptist found the scoreboard first in the top of the second when the Bison scored a run on an errant throw from the Crimson Storm to take the 1-0 lead. After both defenses dug in for four innings, Fellers blew the game open with a two-run rocket to left field to give the Storm their first lead at 2-1.
Later in the top of the sixth, OBU plated a couple more runs to snatch the lead back at 3-2, before Sauer responded in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer. SNU took a 4-3 lead into the final inning looking to close out the Bison. Oklahoma Baptist wasn't going down without a fight however, as the Bison pushed two more runs across the plate to take the 5-4 advantage and put the pressure on Southern Nazarene in the final half-inning.
SNU remained cool under the gun as they were able to get a couple of hits from Fellers and Ah Yat. Sauer singeld down the right field line to tie score Fellers, tying the game 5-5 and putting Curlee at the dish. The senior stepped in and hit her sixth home run of the year over the left field wall and sending the Bison home with an 0-3 record this season against SNU.
Southern Nazarene will have two days off before returning to action on Friday and Saturday for a GAC weekend series with East Central in Bethany. First pitch at Cypert Athletic Complex on Friday is set for 4:00 p.m.
