WOODWARD, Okla. - The Crimson Storm hit the road for a midweek matchup in Woodward for a doubleheader against Oklahoma Panhandle State. SNU couldn't quite keep pace with the Aggies, who snagged both games with final scores of 8-4 and 16-11.
Game 1
The Aggies (12-22, 3-21 SAC) struck first in the opener, putting up three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 lead.
SNU (9-34, 3-25 GAC) responded in the third inning as Aiden McCullough got on after being hit by a pitch. Antonio Sabala then reached on a throwing error that allowed McCullough to move to third. Brady Benedict grounded out, but it brought in McCullough to score. After a passed ball moved Sabala to third, Weston Hicks drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Blake Brinkmeyer came through with a double to left center, scoring Sabala and cutting the lead to 3-2.
The Storm kept the momentum going in the fourth after Tucker LeMay singled and McCullough walked to put two on. Sabala laid down a sac bunt to move them over and a passed ball allowed LeMay to score and tie the game. Right after, Benedict singled up the middle, bringing in McCullough and giving SNU the 4-3 lead.
The Aggies responded quickly plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth to reclaim the lead at 6-4. They added two more in the sixth to push it to 8-4, and that would hold as the final score, with OPSU taking Game 1.
Game 2
The Aggies came out hot again, scoring four in the first inning to jump ahead early. SNU got on the board in the third after Sabala walked and scored on a Benedict double. Trey Orman then came up clutch with a single to right center that brought Benedict home, making it 4-2.
Oklahoma Panhandle State responded with a big third inning scoring five more runs to extend their lead to 10-2.
The Storm chipped away in the fourth as LeMay and Colby Flood both walked, followed by another walk to McCullough to load the bases. Sabala then drew a walk to score LeMay, and Benedict grounded out to second to score Flood, cutting the lead to 10-4.
In the fifth inning LeMay kicked it off with a double before Sabala delivered a two run double. Benedict followed with another RBI double and Brinkmeyer blasted a triple to center, scoring two more and cutting the OPSU lead to just one at 10-9
The Aggies had another big inning in them, putting up six in the sixth to stretch their lead back out to 16-9.
Hicks brought a final punch in the top of the seventh with a two run homerun but it wasn't quite enough as the Aggies held on to win 16-11 and take both games.
Next Up
The Crimson Storm will travel to Searcy, Arkansas to take on Harding University for a three game series. Southern Nazarene will play a single game on Friday, April 18 at 6:00 pm and a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19 starting at 1:00 pm.
