SE Athletics
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Southeastern splits the first round of games at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic with a win over Central Missouri in game two of the day.
The Savage Storm faced No. 24 Missouri Southern in the first game of the day, and the Lions jumped out to an early lead for a 10-3 win. SE bounced back in game two with a 12-7 win over UCM, and the outhit the Jennies 16-to-8.
Southeastern (3-4) continues at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 11:30 a.m. against St. Mary’s and later takes on Washburn at 2 p.m.
GAME ONE: No. 24 MSSU 10, SE 3
The No. 24 Lions jumped on the Storm early, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. SE after two quiet innings, went to work in the third and scored three runs on three hits. A leadoff double by Keegan Rowland set up the first score, as Iliana Olivares batted her in on a single to right field. On the next at-bat, Emily Simmons sent a two-run home run over the left field wall to give SE a 3-2 lead.
However, MSSU was quick with its reply, plating four more runs in the bottom half of the third to go back ahead 6-3. The Lions would add another run to their lead in the following frame to stretch their gap to 7-3. Southeastern looked to tie the game in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, but a lineout from McKenna Simmons would end the inning. Missouri Southern would add to its lead again in the sixth with a three-run inning to make it 10-3.
Southeastern had five hits in the game, while Missouri Southern tallied 14 hits and stole ten bases. E. Simmons started the game in the circle and went 2.1 innings with five runs allowed on five hits. The junior also recorded one hit in two plate appearances with two runs driven in.
GAME TWO: SE 12, UCM 7
Southeastern was off to a fast start against the Jennies, using a three-run second inning to take the lead. The blue and gold had runners on first and second with one out, and a single into left field by Tristan Hopkins brought in one run before M. Simmons cleared the bases with a double on the next at-bat, 3-0. UCM answered back in the next frame with a three-run inning to tie it 3-3, but SE scored two more runs in the third to lead 5-3.
India McMurray, in the second at-bat of the frame, sent a solo home run over the left field wall to break the tie, 4-3. Moments later, a hit by Laci Larsen set up another double off the bat of M. Simmons to drive in the second run of the inning, 5-3.
Both sides went scoreless in the fourth, but SE got the bats going in the fifth, posting another crooked number. The blue and gold started the frame with a walk and a single to get the first run on the board behind a groundout by Hopkins, 6-3. On the next at bat, a wild pitch brought in Trinity Oden before the pinch-hitter Anley Hewitt blasted a two-run homer to stretch the gap to 9-3. SE continued to add to its lead in the inning off a double from Olivares into center field to bring in the next score, 10-3.
The Jennies replied with a big inning of their own in the top of the sixth with two home runs, including a three-run shot to cut SE’s advantage to three, 10-7. Southeastern added two more runs in the bottom half of the frame to stretch its lead to 12-7, which would be enough hold off the late pressure from UCM.
SE had five players record a multi-hit game, led by Susan Edwards with four hits and a run scored. Hopkins finished 3-4 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored, while M. Simmons had two doubles for three RBIs and two runs scored. McMurray and Hewitt both tallied home runs, as SE recorded 16 hits in the game. T. Oden picked up her second win of the season with 5.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts.