BETHANY, Okla.—Southern Nazarene earned a huge series win over Henderson State, splitting Saturday's double-header to take two of three over the Reddies. The Crimson Storm took game one 4-3 before dropping game two 5-3. By taking two of three, SNU moved into seventh place in the GAC standings, half of a game up on East Central and one and a half games up on Henderson State.
Game 1:
The Crimson Storm overcame a two-run deficit in the fifth inning to secure a 4-3 win in game one and seal a series victory. They used an incredible effort from Janie Worthington in relief to earn the comeback. She pitched the final 4.2 innings of the game, striking out 11 of the 16 batters she faced as she just mowed down the Reddie lineup.
Henderson State got the scoring started in the first inning when the second batter of the game ripped a triple to center field. She then scored on an RBI groundout. Sydney Sundbye led off SNU's half of the first inning with a double, but never moved from there.
SNU tied the game in the second inning thanks to a Henderson State error to leadoff the inning that allowed Hailey Evans to make her way into second base. Pinch runner Marlee Warden scored the following at-bat when Kennedy Sherer singled up the middle. Henderson struggled in the field all game, committing four errors.
The Reddies notched one run in both the third and fourth innings to take a 3-1 advantage, but it was a big fifth inning for the Crimson Storm that was the difference. Another Reddie error allowed Liana Heshiki to reach first with one out. The bases were then loaded for Hailey Evans following a single and a walk. SNU's RBI leader came through once again with the biggest hit of the game, blasting a pitch to the right-center field gap, scoring all three runners and pushing SNU in front 4-3.
That ended the scoring in game one. Worthington continued to overpower Henderson's hitters. She struck out six straight batters between the fifth and seventh innings and finished off the win with a popout and a flyout to center field.
Game 2:
Another comeback was not in the cards for SNU in game two. They quickly fell behind 5-0 in the first inning and were unable to claw all the way back. They cut the deficit to just two runs, but could not get over the hump.
Henderson State jumped in front 5-0 in the first inning after each of the first four batters of the game came around to score. They used three straight bloop singles, followed by a grand slam, to jump all over SNU. They later added a two-out RBI single to run their total to five runs in the opening frame.
Katelyn Woodard came into the game in relief in that first inning and pitched masterfully. She pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just 5 baserunners and 0 runs, which kept SNU in the game and at least gave them a shot at a comeback.
The Crimson Storm were held scoreless through three innings, but got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the fourth. They were partly helped by another Henderson error. Hannah Morales singled to shortstop, scoring Marlee Warden, and an errant throw on the same play also allowed McKayla Franks to make her way home.
The following inning, Emma Swearingen collected her first triple of the season, which scored Natalie Jones and trimmed the deficit to just 5-3. Unfortunately for SNU, they were held without a hit over the final two innings and were unable to complete the comeback.
The Crimson Storm are left with six conference games as they attempt to clinch a spot in the GAC Championship tournament. Next up, they will take on Ouachita Baptist, who is currently tied for the bottom spot in the conference, on the road. They follow that series with a tough home series with second place Harding to close the regular season. SNU's matchup with Ouachita is set for a single game at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, followed by a noon double-header on Saturday.
