ALVA, Okla. - The Oklahoma Baptist softball team racked up 21 runs on 27 hits as a nine run fifth inning in game one ignited the offense and gave the Bison a 10-5 and 11-0 (5) win over Northwestern Oklahoma State in their conference opener on Friday afternoon.
Game one was a pitcher's duel early on as
Katie Long kept the Lady Rangers bats at bay in the early goings. However, Northwestern would strike first with a two run blast in the fourth inning for a 2-0 lead.
The Bison responded with a bang in the top of the fifth as 13 batters stepped to the player and put nine runs on the board.
Shelby Savage started the inning then one batter later
Emily Richardson stepped into the box and blasted a two-run bomb to left center to even the game at two a piece.
Jadyn James walked, bringing on pinch runner
Tyra Garcia, who proceeded to steal second. After the second out of the inning,
Sheyanne Sandoval stepped to the box and laced a RBI double in the gap to take a 3-2 lead.
Cheyenne Demaree followed with a RBI single while OBU loaded the bases, getting a single from
Emily Smith while
McKenna Anderson reached on an error.
Savage drew a walk to push the lead to 5-2 while
Kylie Kawamura drove a pair home on a RBI single up te middle. Richdson came back around and smacked a two-out, two-RBI double to right center, scoring two, and pushing the lead to 9-2.
Savage would add a RBI single in the sixth while Northwestern added a few runs later in the game.
Aspen Younce saw work in relief as the Bison finished off the Lady Rangers for a game one win.
Long (2-2) earned the win, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing four runs on five hits. She struck out four batters in the contest. Younce added 2.2 innings of work, allowing only one run and striking out two batters.
Richardson was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and four RBI while Savage added a 2-for-4 day with two RBI and two runs scored. Demaree was 3-for-3 with two runs scored while Kawamura drove in a pair.Â
In game two, OBU took that momentum from game one and put five runs on the board in the first inning. Savage would get things started as she scored on a passed ball after singling to start the game.
Kaytlyn Marsh singled to make it 2-0 while OBU added a third run on a Northwestern error. Demaree and Anderson each had a RBI single for the 5-0 lead.
The Bison were not done yet as they plated four more in the second inning as Marsh had her second RBI while Demaree drove in two on a RBI single.Â
Younce got the start and had no trouble keeping the Lady Ranger bats down as OBU maintained their big lead while
Kayleigh Jones got work later in the game. Savage added a RBI on a ground out while James smashed a homer over the left field wall to make it 11-0 and end the game in five.
Younce (4-4) earned the win in the circle, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing one hit, and striking out three while Jones had her best outing of her young Bison career, pitching 3.0 innings, only allowing two hits, and striking out five.
Marsh was 3-for-4 with two RBI while Demaree was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored. James was 1-for-2 with the home run and two runs scored while Anderson was 2-for-3 with a RBI. Sandoval was 2-for-4 with a double, two stolen bases, and three runs scored while Kawamura added a 2-for-4 day with two runs scored.
The Bison. move to 6-8 overall and open the year 2-0 in the GAC. They will wrap up the series tomorrow in Alva beginning 12 PM, looking for a sweep, but needing just one win to clinch the series.
