ALVA, Okla. – SWOSU Softball extended its win streak to seven games on Tuesday by defeating Northwestern on the road by final scores of 6-4 and 8-3.
The doubleheader was unique in that, game one was to be treated as a conference game while game two was a non-conference matchup. The win in game one gave the Dawgs sole possession of seventh place in the league standings – one game above two others tied for the eighth and final postseason spot – heading into the final week of the regular season.
SWOSU (20-23) also notches its 20th win of the year. The last time the Bulldogs eclipsed 20 wins? 2019.
The team will travel to face Arkansas Tech this weekend with huge postseason implications on the line.
Game One
SWOSU 6, NWOSU 4
After big innings hurt SWOSU in the previous matchups against Northwestern, the Rangers again used a four-run second to open up a 4-2 lead on the Dawgs in game one. The offense responded though, with three runs of their own in the fifth to retake the lead.
An RBI triple from
Katie Boline in the seventh provided extra breathing room.
While NWOSU scored in one frame, the Bulldogs spread out runs throughout with scoring innings in four of their seven at-bats. Three tripled in the game – Boline,
Emily Wedel, and
Taylor McMahon. Boline and Wedel both drove in runs with theirs.
Trailing 4-2, SWOSU's three-run fifth was spark plugged thanks to an error from Northwestern that let
Chesnie Hewitt score all the way from first base.
Jadyn Hook cashed in right after with an RBI single to tie the game up. Boline came through with a sacrifice fly to plate Hook as the go-ahead run.
Alexis Taylor (W, 12-9) threw the entire way, striking out seven and walking two. She surrendered eight hits, all singles.
Eight of the nine in the lineup finished with a hit.
Kaylee Barkley was SWOSU's lone multi-hit game.
Game Two
SWOSU 8, NWOSU 3
A season high 15 hits helped the cause in the nightcap. SWOSU put up crooked scoring innings in the first, third, and sixth and held Northwestern to just solo runs in the first, second, and seventh.
Tied 2-2 in the top of the third, five hits by the offense plated three runs to give the Bulldogs one last lead.
Chesnie Hewitt tripled to leadoff the inning followed by singles from four of the next five batters which chased the Ranger starting pitcher from the game.
Leading 5-2, Hewitt seemingly put the game to put with a three-run home run in the sixth. She finished 3-for-4 in the game, just a single shy of the cycle.
With plenty of run support,
Jaycee McKee (W, 4-6) pitched the final five innings in relief to earn the win. She entered in the third inning in support of
Riley Lusk who pitched innings one and two. McKee's scoreless effort was finally halted in the final inning when NWOSU drove in a run off her with a two out double.
Emily Wedel matched Hewitt's three hits in a 3-for-4 effort. Lusk (2-4) doubled as one of six total extra base hits for SWOSU in the game.
