BETHANY, Okla. — In there second to last home series of the 2023 season, Southern Nazarene dropped the Friday doubleheader to Ouachita Baptist, falling in Game 1, 6-3, and in Game 2, 8-1.
The Tigers (33-12, 21-8 GAC) and the Storm (15-30, 6-23 GAC) battled the entire doubleheader, keeping it close for the majority of the both games. SNU fell by just three runs in the first game, but gave up a few runs late in Game 2 to fall by seven.
Game 1
Casey Minchey, SNU's starting pitcher, got the Storm off to a hot start, following up a great defensive play with back-to-back strikeouts to retire the side early in the first inning.
The Storm kept the momentum in the bottom half of the inning, testing the Tigers' defense with two consecutive singles off the bats of DJ Van Atten and Dax Edmonds with neither brining in any runs.
The bats were awake for both squads through the second and third innings with each team cracking out a few hits. SNU's O'Shea Whiteside and DJ Van Atten turned hits into runs for the Storm, each firing solo home runs in the bottom third to take a 2-0 advantage over Ouachita Baptist.
The Tigers were quick to answer in the first at-bat of the fourth, launching a solo homer over the scoreboard to make it a 2-1 score in Bethany. OBU took no time in gaining the lead, firing another long ball to left field for two RBIs and a 3-2 score. The Tiger's earned a two-run lead off an RBI-single, but SNU's left fielder Noah Edmond retired the side with his throw to home for the double play.
Both teams battled through two scoreless innings until the Tigers made some noise in the top of the seventh off an SNU error, bumping their lead to 5-2.
Unable to lessen the deficit in the bottom seventh, SNU made up for it on the mound in the eighth. Logan Isbell delivered back-to-back strikeouts to set the Storm up to retire the side and keep OBU up just three runs.
A Tiger double in the ninth set up an RBI-ground out, putting the Tigers ahead by four. Down 6-2, SNU had one final inning to turn things around. An OBU fielding error gave SNU an edge by sending Whiteside to first. Van Atten's single and another Tiger error filled the bases, putting SNU in great position. Colby Entwistle gave SNU some life with his single, sending Whiteside across home.
After an SNU fly put put them at two outs, a strikeout at the plate served them their final out, handing the Tiger's the Game 1, 6-3 victory.
Game 2
SNU faced a rough opening inning, committing three errors that set the Tigers up to score five runs.
The score remained stood still form the first innings as neither team could bring in another run in the following five innings.
Both squads made it a game in the field with the Tigers still ahead by five as the game inched closer to the seventh and final inning. SNU's starting pitcher Oliver Wilson kept OBU silent at the plate, only giving up one hit since the first inning.
SNU escaped the shut out in the bottom sixth as Jonathan Crist's triple to center field sent Colby Entwistle home for the 5-1 trail. That was the last of the scoring for the Storm that inning, leaving one final inning up for grabs.
Ouachita Baptist made SNU's comeback much harder in the top of seventh, launching a three RBI bomb over the fence to grow their lead to 8-1 with just a single out under their belt. SNU kept the Tigers there, moving into the bottom half of the inning.
SNU was unable to overcome the seven-run deficit, losing Game 2 with a final score of 8-1.
Southern Nazarene will face Ouachita Baptist once more for a single game Saturday, April 22nd at noon.
