ADA, Okla. — Adding some non-conference action to the schedule late in the season, Southern Nazarene met up with GAC neighbor East Central Tuesday afternoon for a seven-inning doubleheader where the Storm (11-23, 6-21 GAC) split it with the Tigers (5-36, 3-24 GAC) with a 7-8 Game 1 loss and an epic Game 2 16-11 victory.
Game 1
East Central broke out on top to start, tacking on three runs from four hits to start up 3-0 over the Storm. The Tigers doubled that score in the 2nd, recording three more trips home to hold an early 6-0 advantage.
The Storm finally saw some light in the 4th, brought upon by an EJ Taylor solo homer straight to the back to put SNU behind 1-6.
East Central put up another in 5th to make it six-run game, EJ Taylor helped cut that deficit down to four with another huge shot to left field for two RBI's.
Noah Ellis and Oliver Wilson came alive in the 6th, both cracking out two singles that plated Colby Entwistle and DJ Van Atten, helping the Storm crawl up two-run game.
The Storm tied it in the 7th after Weston Hicks' sacrifice fly and Van Atten's double plated two to send the score to 7-7.
An extra inning was rewarded after East Central couldn't make it happen in the bottom 7th. SNU saw a perfect no out, runners on first and second situation in the top half of the inning, but three quick outs plagued their chances of getting ahead. East Central hopped on the opportunity, scoring on a passed ball to end the first game 8-7.
EJ Taylor was the highlight for SNU's offense, putting up two homer's of three RBI's with a 3-4 finish.
Wilson, Ellis, Van Atten, and Hicks all recorded an RBI for the Storm.
Game 2
SNU bounced back at the plate in Game 2, putting up a total of 15 hits to hand it to East Central with a five-run win.
Two singles by Noah Ellis and Mason Daly in the 2nd would give the Storm their first three runs as Entwistle, Van Atten, and Tyler Broyles would make the trip home.
East Central gained the lead in the same inning, but that didn't last for long, as the Storm ignited for eight runs in the third to take an 11-4 lead.
Van Atten kick started the fire with a single to left that plated Entwistle and Brown. It was a single kind of game as Vinyard put one up to send in Ellis and Van Atten for the 7-4 advantage. Taylor's walk would send in Broyles for another run and Brown's double to left would earn three RBI's as Taylor, Cole Embrey, and Vinyard all scored, bumping the Storm up 11-4.
The Tigers snuck in two runs in the next two innings to trail the Storm 7-11. Broyles squashed any hopes of a Tiger comeback, singling through the left side to plate Jonathan Crist and Van Atten. Another single would serve the Storm well as Taylor fired one to the left side to score Embrey and Vinyard to send their lead to 15-7.
ECU continued their fight, sending the score to 10-15 with two more runs. Van Atten came in cutch in the 7th, doubling down the left field line to score Entwistle to lead ECU 16-10.
The Tigers had one last shot to turn things around, but only one run was in their favor, leaving the Storm to win it with a 16-11.
Van Atten had a 3-4 at bat with three RBI's and two double's. Taylor and Vinyard tagged team on the stat lines, both finishing 2-4 with three RBI's.
Brown had a 2-5 finish, also with three RBI's, while Broyles and Ellis both added two RBI's.
Oliver Wilson pitched in relief, recording five strikeouts in his five innings pitched.
The Storm will make one final trek to Arkansas to face off with Southern Arkansas for a doubleheader on Friday, April 22nd at 3:00 p.m. followed by a single game Saturday, April 23rd at noon.
