BETHANY, Okla. – SWOSU Softball picked up a doubleheader split on Friday at Southern Nazarene in two games that finished with matching scores. The Bulldogs suffered a 9-5 setback in the opener before bouncing back and defeating the Crimson Storm by the same margin in the second game of the twin bill.
SWOSU (11-19, 5-15 GAC) snapped a nine-game slide with the Game 2 victory and the Dawgs will be back in Bethany on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 10:00 am.
Southern Nazarene 9, SWOSU 5
Box Score
Sidney Kirk hit a grand slam in the top of the third inning, giving SWOSU a 4-1 lead before SNU scored seven runs in the next two innings to regain control of the opener.
Taya Haney added an RBI single in the fourth, tying the game at 5-5, but SNU scored three in the bottom of the fourth and pushed across an insurance run in the sixth inning to provide the final margin.
SWOSU had eight hits in the game, getting two apiece from
Tori Hawk and Kirk, who set a new career-high with four RBI. Haney got the start in the circle and last 2.0 innings before giving way to
Miranda Grover, who took the loss and falls to 5-1 on the year after allowing four runs on six hits in 2.2 innings of work.
SWOSU 9, SNU 5
Box Score
Both teams went scoreless for the first two innings but put plenty of runs on the board in the middle frames before SWOSU pulled away for the victory. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the third, two each in the fourth and fifth then plated their final run in the sixth of the four-run victory.
Taya Haney led the way with a 3-for-3 outing at the plate with three RBI and she drew a walk. Haney had RBI singles in the third and fourth innings while also scoring a run herself in the four-run third. Both of the Bulldogs runs in the fifth inning were unearned, but
Cheyenne Trotter struck with a solo home run to deep left field in the sixth inning for SWOSU's final run of the contest.
Kenedi Jackson also had a three-hit day, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored while
Sidney Kirk had a two-run single in the third inning. In addition to 12 hits on the day, the Bulldogs offense was very patient at the plate drawing seven walks – two apiece from
Samantha Householder,
Miranda West and
Abigail Schade.
Taylor Eaves got the start in the pitching circle and lasted 2.2 innings before allowing three runs – two earned – on just two hits, but she was plagued by five walks.
Rileigh Ricken (1-5) entered in relief and allowed six hits and two runs over the final 4.1 innings with three strikeouts to earn the victory.
