ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Oklahoma Baptist softball team (3-1, 0-0 GAC) concluded play at the Hawkins-McGhee Invitational with two dominating wins over Southwest Baptist and Northeastern State on Sunday evening.
OBU run-ruled the Bearcats 8-0 in game one and beat the Riverhawks 5-2 to go undefeated on the day. The Bison offense came alive on Sunday, combining for 13 runs and 18 hits through both contests.
In game one, pitcher Aspen Younce started the OBU onslaught as she struck out three straight in the inaugural inning.
With a couple on base at the bottom of the first, an Emily Richardson sacrifice fly sent Adi Reese home to give the Bison a 1-0 lead.
The momentum carried into the second stanza when freshman Sammie Greene smashed a two-run bomb to put the home team up 3-0. This would not be it for Greene.
The west coast native returned to the plate in the third to split the defense with a single into center field, sending Samantha Campos and Shelby Warden across the dish. The scoring continued as Reagan Ford plated Gwyn Miller to complete a three-run inning and give OBU a 6-0 advantage.
Oklahoma Baptist's train remained on track at the bottom of the fourth with a Mia Moddelmog triple that sent Miller home for a second time.
After allowing just one hit at the top of the fifth, including Younce's eighth strikeout, the Bison needed one to end the game early.
Sophomore Stephanie McDonald answered the call with a solo shot over the left-center wall, issuing the run-rule and a Bison victory.
Younce (W, 2-0) earned her second win of the tourney, striking out eight after facing 19 batters in 5.0 innings of work.
Greene led OBU's hitting committee, going 2-for-2 at the plate and batting in four. McDonald recorded the first home run of career in her only at-bat.
Richardson, Ford, and Moddelmog each charted a hit as well.
In the second game, play slowed down for the green and gold as Northeastern jumped out an early 1-0 lead after the first inning.
After Kayleigh Jones struck out a Riverhawk to end the second, the Bison offense got to work.
Oklahoma Baptist erupted for a four-run inning, sparked by an Asia Henry double that scored two. Moddelmog ground out to second to plate Gwyn Miller and put the Bison up 3-1. Jocee Sparks capped off OBU's dynamic inning with a triple that earned Oklahoma Baptist a 4-1 lead.
The scoring settled for a couple of innings until Greene singled and brought Sparks across home plate for the Bison's fifth score of the night.
Northeastern plated one in the final inning, but a couple of strikeouts and a last out at third cemented the OBU victory.
Kayleigh Jones (W, 1-1) takes the win after matching her career-high of 12 strikeouts, recorded yesterday, in 7.0 innings pitched. She faced 29 batters, allowing just two runs.
Jocee Sparks went 3-for-4, as she was a home run shy of completing a cycle. Sparks plated three in one of the best performances of her career.
Henry tallied two RBI's while Greene and Moddelmog collected the remaining two for the Bison.
Next for Oklahoma Baptist is a trip to Lubbock, Texas where they'll compete in the Lubbock Sports College Invitational. The Bison are slated to face five opponents, beginning with Lubbock Christian on Feb. 10 at 5 p.m.
