BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene finished their home conference series against Northwestern Oklahoma State in dominant fashion shutting out the Rangers twice to claim the series sweep.
Game 1
Olivia Hernandez got the nod in the circle holding the Rangers (10-24, 3-15 GAC) scoreless. Hernandez was dominant, tossing a complete game shutout to clinch the series for Southern Nazarene (18-18, 10-8 GAC) .
The Crimson Storm wasted no time setting the tone, striking first in the bottom of the first inning. After a two-out single from Kira Taber, Eden Anderson delivered an RBI double to right center to give SNU an early 1-0 advantage.
Southern Nazarene continued to build momentum in the second. Presley Brott sparked the inning with a double, and the Storm capitalized with timely hitting as Julia Lopez and Kristen Mullendore each drove in runs to extend the lead to 3-0.
In the third, SNU added another run as Brott came through again with an RBI single, pushing the advantage to 4-0. The Storm then broke things open in the fourth inning. Mullendore doubled to set up Macy Stewart, who delivered a two-run single to stretch the lead to 6-0.
The offense stayed aggressive in the fifth as Brott recorded her third extra-base hit of the day and later scored on a double from Ciena Perez, giving Southern Nazarene a 7-0 cushion.
The Crimson Storm offense racked up 15 hits, led by Brott's perfect 3-for-3 performance with two doubles and an RBI. Anderson also had a strong showing, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run driven in, while Mullendore added two doubles and an RBI.
Game 2
After a quiet first two innings, SNU broke through in the third. Taber started the rally with a single before Adyson Gaddis followed with a base hit to put runners in scoring position. Presley Brott brought home the game's first run with a sacrifice fly, and Ella Sottile delivered the big swing of the inning with an RBI triple to give the Storm a 2-0 lead.
Southern Nazarene added to its advantage in the fourth inning with a three-run frame. Quinlyn Johnson sparked the rally with a triple, and after Kristen Mullendore reached, Abby Wood came through with an RBI single that turned into a two-run play following an error. Taber followed with an RBI knock to extend the lead to 5–0.
The Storm put the finishing touches on the game in the sixth. Taking advantage of defensive miscues, SNU plated three more runs, highlighted by an RBI single from Anderson and another run-scoring hit from Gaddis to push the lead to 8-0.
That offensive support was more than enough for Baylee Sales, who was dominant in the circle yet again. Sales tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out four.
SNU totaled 11 hits in the win, with Taber and Anderson each recording multi-hit performances. Gaddis also provided a spark in the lineup, driving in a run as part of the Storm's balanced offensive attack.
Next Up
The Crimson Storm will return to action to host Cameron for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, March 31 at 2 pm.
