SHAWNEE – The Oklahoma Baptist softball team used a pair of home runs from
Jocee Sparks on Saturday afternoon to claim the series over Arkansas Tech, winning the first game 6-1 before falling 5-4 in game two.
After a walk to
Shelby Savage, Sparks got things started in the bottom of the first as she drilled a pitch into center for a two run bomb and a 2-0 lead. Sparks would strike again in the bottom half of the second after an error kept the inning alive, this time smashing a towering homer over the left center wall to push the game to 5-0.
Kayleigh Jones was tough in the circle, working out of jams and keeping the Bison ahead throughout the contest.
McKenna Anderson tacked on a run in the fourth as she scored on a wild pitch. Arkansas Tech got a run back in the fifth inning and started to build some momentum in the late half of the game, but Jones slammed the door shut for her 10th win of the season.
Jones tossed a complete game, allowing one run on five hits to go with seven strikeouts. She allowed two runs through six innings and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh for the win.
Sparks was 2-for-3 with two homers and five RBI while
Kylie Kawamura was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Anderson added a 1-for-3 day with a run scored while Savage scored two runs.
After falling behind 1-0 in the third inning of the second contest,
Cheyenne Demaree drove home a run in the bottom half of the third to even things at one a piece. Demaree struck again in the fifth inning as she tattoed a pitch over the center field wall for a 3-1 lead.
However, Tech got two runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh to retake the lead. OBU got a run home in the seventh to cut it to one while getting the tying run to the plate, but could not come through with the go-ahead run.
Demaree was 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks, and three RBI while Anderson was 2-for-3. Savage added a 1-for-2 day with two runs scored while
Emily Richardson also had a hit.
Aspen Younce was saddled with the loss despite striking out four. Jones saw 0.2 innings of work in the seventh.
OBU moved to 14-10 overall and 9-8 in the GAC. They return to action on Thursday, April 1 to begin a three game series with the top team in the GAC in Southeastern Oklahoma State. First pitch on Thursday is at 3 p.m.
