BETHANY, Oklahoma — Southern Nazarene Softball competed in the Raising Canes Softball Festival over the weekend, hosting Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney, Missouri Southern State, and Northeastern State all on Tere Webber Field in Bethany. The Storm split the tournament 2-2, dropping close matchups to the Tigers (6-2, 0-0 MIAA) and the Lions (11-4, 0-0 MIAA), but picked up wins over the Lopers (4-5, 0-0 MIAA) and the Riverhawks (3-9, 0-0 MIAA) to improve to 6-6 overall on the season. 

Game 1 vs Fort Hays State 

The Storm battled through a low scoring contest in their home opener, facing the tough pitching of the Fort Hays Tigers who kept SNU from seeing a single run the entire afternoon. Fort Hays brought in their first run in the top of the second inning from a sac-fly that allowed the third-base runner to trot home. 

The pitching duo of Olivia Hernandez and Kaetlyn Woodard kept the Tigers off the scoreboard through the next four innings, looking for an edge to close the gap. Unfortunately for the Storm, Savannah Egger was doing wonders from the circle, not needing any relief from the bullpen. 

Down to the final inning, the Tigers tacked on an insurance run from a single to left field, stretching their lead to 2-0. The Storm were given one final appearance at the plate, but had to suffer through two line-outs and a ground-out that ultimately propelled the Tigers to the 2-0 final victory. 

Game 2 vs Nebraska Kearney 

The Storm quickly turned around to face off with the Lopers of Nebraska Kearney and displayed an entirely different contest, exploding for seven unanswered runs for the final 7-0 victory. 
SNU's tear began in the third inning when Mikayla Franks put down a sac-bunt bringing Kristen Mullendore home. Hailey Evans followed with a huge double to right field that sent in Maddie Riley for the 2-0 lead. 

Later in the fourth inning, Mullendore cracked out a double to right field and Riley singled up the middle, both combining for two RBIs that shot SNU's lead up to 4-0. 

Maddie Southerland continued to be a force inside the circle, keeping the Lopers off the board to allow her teammates to keep bringing in the runs. Mikayla Oaks snuck out a single up the middle in the fifth inning that pushed Emma Green home and SNU was soon ahead by five with two and a half innings left in the ballgame. 

Riley wanted some of the action in the sixth inning, putting up another double for the Storm that was good for two RBIs and a 7-0 lead. The Lopers were given one half of an inning to make a miraculous comeback, but SNU's lead was too far out of reach and the Storm picked up their first win of the Raising Cane's Festival by a final 7-0 win. 

Southerland pitched a complete game, allowing just eight hits and not a single run from Nebraska Kearney. 

Oaks, Mullendore, and Riley all had standout days at the plate, each finishing 3-3 and combining for five RBIs. 

Game 3 vs Missouri Southern State 

The Lions put SNU in a 4-0 hole in the first inning, highlighted by a single, a double and an SNU wild pitch. The Storm were able to cut that lead down to two runs in the bottom half of the inning after  Hailey Evans' double and a Mikayla Oaks ground out that brought in two runs for the Storm. 

MSSU cracked out two more doubles in the second inning that scored two more runs, putting the Storm behind by four again moving into the bottom half of the second inning. Southern Nazarene was unable to piece anything together in that inning, but made up for it in the third, starting with Kennedy Morelock's single up the middle that pushed Noa Dodson home for the 6-3 trail. 

MSSU committed a fielding error with the bases loaded, allowing Mikayla Franks to trot home to put the Storm behind by two runs. Macy Stewart achieved the game-tying run on a fielder's choice which allowed Oaks the trip home for the 6-6 score. 

Southern Nazarene's bats grew quiet in the final four innings, leaving all the room for the Lions to continue to pile on the runs. MSSU managed to record a run in the last four innings of the ballgame, brought in by a total of three singles and a double to propel them to a 10-6 victory in Bethany over the Storm. 
    
Game 4 vs Northeastern State 

After their game with Central Missouri Saturday was canceled due to weather implications, SNU had a day to rest and prepare for the Riverhawks on Sunday. The Storm got off to a hot start in the opening inning, powered by a Kristen Mullendore double that scored Mikayla Oaks and Hailey Evans. 

Maddie Southerland kept NSU off the scoreboard through the first two innings, leaving more room for SNU to tack on another run, this time, by Hailey Evans' single that scored Sydney Sundbye for the 3-0 lead. 
Janie Worthington came in for relief of Southerland with bases loaded in the third, but that did not phase the Riverhawks who broke out a single to earn their first run of the game for the 3-1 trail of the Storm. 

Emma Swearingen was quick to respond in the next at-bat, firing a bullet over the left-center fence for the solo home run that put the Storm ahead by three runs. The Storm had a few opportunities to throw on more runs to the scoreboard, but the NSU pitching delivered and the side was retired with SNU ahead 3-1 moving into the fifth.

Worthington continued to keep the Riverhawks silent at the plate while the Storm found more ways to bring in the runs. In her first at-bat of the afternoon, Marlee Warden singled to center field with the bases loaded, scoring Liana Heshiki and Mullendore for the 6-1 lead.
 
Macy Stewart wanted a piece of the action and put up a sac-fly that plated Sydney Sundbye and SNU was soon ahead 7-1 heading into the sixth inning. 

The Storm offense couldn't be contained by Northeastern State as Hailey Feinstein's single to left gave Franks the trip home to put SNU in sight of a run rule at 8-1. Heshiki was able to finish the Riverhawks off with a fly-out to left field that gave Oaks enough time to make it across home plate, securing the 9-1 run-rule victory over NSU. 

Worthington was credited the win, securing her third win in the circle this season with eight strikeouts against the Riverhawks through four innings of play. 

Evans finished 3-4 at the plate with one RBI, followed by Mullendore's impressive 2-3 hitting and two RBIs. 

Up Next

Southern Nazarene will host Newman Tuesday, February 20th for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.