ARKADELPHIA, Ark.—For the third straight time, Southern Nazarene found themselves taking a split in their double-header action as the Storm took game one 5-3 over Henderson State before falling 3-2 in extra innings to the Reddies in the Great American Conference opener.
Game 1:
The Crimson Storm used a big three run fifth inning to secure a 5-3 win over Henderson State in game one.
SNU was able to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a leadoff error allowed Liana Heshiki to reach base. She then advanced to third on another double from reigning GAC Player of the Week, Hailie Fellers. Heshiki came around to score on an RBI groundout from Caitlyn Curlee (Bates). Fellers would also score off an RBI single from Emma Swearingen.
Henderson State would tie the game in the third inning, but had a chance to take the lead as the Reddies got greedy attempting to turn a two-RBI double into a three-RBI double but were thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
After a scoreless fourth inning, SNU rallied in the fifth with three runs on three doubles. Liana Heshiki advanced Sydney Everhart to third with a double down to left field, and Hailie Fellers would go the opposite with her second double of the game, scoring both Everhart and Heshiki. Two batters later Fellers scored on yet another double, this time off the bat of Caitlyn Curlee (Bates).
Henderson got one run back in the sixth off a solo home run, but that was as close as they could get as SNU grabbed the 5-3 win.
Jennifer Romero-Ivarson pitched an excellent game in the circle as she notched her second win of the year with a complete game. She limited the Reddies to just 3 hits in the game and struck out 4 batters.
Liania Heshiki, Hailie Fellers, and Emma Swearingen all notched two hits in the game. Fellers and Cailtyn Curlee (Bates) would each chip in a pair of RBIs as well.
Game 2:
Despite banging out 10 hits, runs were hard to come by for the Storm in game two. They notched two runs in the second inning, but that was all they could muster over the long nine inning game.
Southern Nazarene had chances all game, but simply could not get runners across home plate. They left 14 runners on base, including leaving 2 on in the seventh inning, two on in the eighth inning, and leaving the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Despite leaving runners on base, SNU was still just one out away from a win in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a two-out single up the middle allowed Henderson to tie the game and send it into extra innings.
Henderson then loaded the bases in the ninth inning and another two-out singles allowed the Reddies to walk the Storm off game two.
Of SNU's 10 hits, three came off the red-hot bat of Hailie Fellers. She is now hitting .600 for her last seven games played.
Emma Swearingen and Hannah Morales also collected multiple hits in the game as each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Morales would also add an RBI double in the mix.
Chelsea Vandiver pitched an excellent game in the circle, allowing just two earned runs over 8.2 innings pitched.
The decisive game three of the series is set for tomorrow at 1 PM in Arkadelphia.
