BETHANY, Okla. – The Crimson Storm met the Tigers for a conference series doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Southern Nazarene downed Ouachita Baptist to complete the series sweep, defeating the Tigers 5-4 and 10-2.
Game 1
Southern Nazarene (12-14, 7-5 GAC) fell behind early as Ouachita (8-15, 5-7 GAC) plated a run in the first and another in the second to take a 2-0 lead. The Storm answered immediately in the bottom half of the second with their biggest inning of the day.
After a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases, a passed ball allowed Kristen Mullendore to score and cut the deficit to one. With runners still aboard, Eden Anderson delivered, ripping a triple to center field that cleared the bases and gave SNU a 4-2 advantage. Quinlyn Johnson followed with an RBI single to center, scoring Anderson and stretching the lead to 5-2.
Ouachita Baptist chipped away in the later innings, scoring once in the fifth and again in the sixth to pull within one run at 5-4.
Ashley Larson started in the circle for Southern Nazarene and worked 5.1 innings to earn the win, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four. Olivia Hernandez came on in relief in the sixth and shut the door, striking out three over the final 1.2 innings to record the save.
The Tigers threatened in the seventh, placing two runners on base, but Hernandez closed the game with a strikeout to secure the Crimson Storm victory.
Anderson led the SNU offense with a three-run triple, while Johnson added an RBI and a hit.
Game 2
Ouachita struck first once again with a run in the opening inning, but SNU quickly settled in and responded in the third. Macy Stewart ignited the Storm offense with a solo home run to left field to tie the game at 1-1.
Later in the inning, SNU capitalized on Tiger miscues and aggressive baserunning to take control. A sacrifice bunt from Kira Taber brought in the go-ahead run before Presley Brott added an RBI single. Another run came home on a wild pitch as the Storm scored four runs in the frame to take a 4-1 lead.
The Tigers pushed across a run in the top of the fifth to trim the deficit to 4-2, but the Storm answered in the bottom half with a six-run outburst.
Adyson Gaddis got the bats going again with a two-run home run to left field to extend the lead to 6-2. Southern Nazarene kept the pressure on as Stewart delivered a two-run single later in the inning, and Anderson capped the scoring with a two-run double to right field to push the Storm lead to 10-2 and secure the run-rule victory.
Stewart led the way offensively, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Gaddis added a two-run homer of her own while Anderson drove in two with her double.
In the circle, Baylee Sales earned the win after tossing all five innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five.
Next Up
Southern Nazarene will host Fort Hays State on Tuesday, March 17 for a non-conference doubleheader starting at noon.