BETHANY, Okla.—Southern Nazarene picked up win number 23 in a wild 3-2 walk-off victory over Ouachita Baptist in game one of the final series of the regular season.
It was all pitching and defense early on as the teams breezed through the first four innings in just 45 minutes. Neither team pushed a run across in those four innings and they combined for just four hits. Southern Nazarene (23-23, 19-11 GAC) finally broke the pitcher's duel in the fifth inning with a pair of runs that gave them a 2-0 lead over Ouachita (17-27, 13-18).
SNU's two-run fifth inning came after Hailie Fellers led the inning off with a single through the right side. She later stole second base, putting herself in scoring position. The stolen base proved to be important as Anna Icenhower singled her home with a sharply hit ball through the left side. Icenhower then moved into scoring position herself as she advanced on the throw home.
Icenhower was replaced by Madison Isham at second base, and Isham would score two batters later on a Brooklyn Sullivan's RBI single. SNU continued to threaten, loading the bases following an inning-extending error, but a flyout to right field kept the score at 2-0.
Ouachita got one run back in the sixth inning and appeared to be primed to tie the game as they loaded the bases with just one out. The following batter hit a flyball to shallow center field and Sydney Everhart would camp under it to make the out. Ouachita attempted to run on Everhart's arm, but that prove to be a mistake as Everhart came up firing and threw a strike to Liana Heshiki at the dish to gun down the tying run.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning, Ouachita tied the game in the seventh, but could have done even more damage if not for a diving stop from Natalie Jones at second base resulted in just a game-tying RBI fielder's choice.
With the game knotted at 2, SNU looked to avoid their seventh extra-inning game of the season, and did just that, taking advantage of an abundance of Ouachita mistakes in the inning. Brooklyn Sullivan led the inning off with a single to right field. She advanced to second base on Liana Heshiki's sacrifice bunt that did not result in an out after a dropped throw at first base. A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, and yet another wild pitch brought Sullivan home as she safely slid under the tag and gave Southern Nazarene the rare wild pitch walk-off win.
The win ensures Southern Nazarene can not fall further than fifth in the GAC standings heading into the GAC tournament. They will play either Southeastern Oklahoma State or Oklahoma Baptist, but are looking to secure a spot as the four seed and become the designated home team in the 4-5 matchup. In order to do so, the Storm will need to take care of business tomorrow as they close out the regular season in the double-header with Ouachita. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. at the newly named Tere Webber Field.
Tomorrow is also Senior Day, where the Storm will honor their six seniors; Madison Arnold, Caitlyn Curlee (Bates), Hailie Fellers, Jayme Hightower, Jennifer Romero-Ivarson, and Chelsea Vandiver, before the game.
