BETHANY, Okla. - Southern Nazarene looked to clinch the series over No. 24 ranked Oklahoma Baptist after grabbing game one of the series Friday afternoon, but fell short in two highly competitive ball games on their home field.

Game 1

The Crimson Storm (27-25, 17-13 GAC) looked to clinch the series, but  found themselves in an early hole as Oklahoma Baptist (38-12, 24-6 GAC) capitalized on a pair of defensive miscues to plate two unearned runs through the first three innings. Despite the slow start, SNU answered in the bottom of the third with one of its best offensive stretches of the game.

After a solo home run from Bailey Nettles cut the deficit in half, Quinlyn Johnson sparked the rally with a single and a stolen base. Eden Anderson followed with a walk before Adyson Gaddis delivered an RBI single to tie the game at 2–2, briefly shifting momentum back in Southern Nazarene's favor.

That momentum didn't last long. Oklahoma Baptist responded in the fifth inning with a two-run home run that put the Bison back in front. They added insurance in the sixth, using timely hitting and a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6-2. That was all the Bison needed as they hung on for the victory.

Nettles led the way offensively with her home run and an RBI, while Gaddis also drove in a run. 

Game 2

Southern Nazarene looked to take the series over No. 24 Oklahoma Baptist in the series finale but came up just short in a 7-6 extra-inning battle.

After falling behind 1-0 early, SNU responded in the second inning with aggressive, small-ball execution. Adyson Gaddis and Presley Brott opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and after a sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position, Ella Sottile lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Kelsi Hilton followed with an RBI double down the line to give Southern Nazarene a 2-1 lead.

Oklahoma Baptist tied things in the fourth and then surged ahead in the fifth with a three-run inning to take a 5-2 advantage. But once again, the Crimson Storm had an answer.

In the bottom of the sixth, Eden Anderson and Gaddis each singled to set the table before Brott delivered an RBI knock. A miscue in the outfield allowed another run to score, and a sacrifice fly from Macy Stewart evened the game at 5-5, capping a three-run rally.

Both teams traded scoreless frames into the late innings, forcing extra innings.

In the ninth, Oklahoma Baptist broke the deadlock with a two-run home run, putting SNU in a 7-5 hole. Hilton sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and Nettles worked a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Kristen Mullendore delivered with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one. However, Southern Nazarene couldn't find the final hit, leaving the tying run on base to end the game as the Bison claimed the extra inning victory 7-6.

Next Up

The Crimson Storm will travel to Arkansas-Monticello for their final series of the regular season.The two squads are set to play a doubleheader on Thursday, April 30 at 5:00 pm and a single game on Friday, May 1 at noon.