SHAWNEE – Junior pitcher Kayleigh Jones broke the OBU single-season record for strikeouts as Oklahoma Baptist (22-18, 10-11 GAC) fell 1-0 to Southern Nazarene (16-19, 13-8 GAC) in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader before taking the finale 9-5.
Jones eclipsed the previous record of 210, set by Oklahoma Baptist Hall of Famer Destini Anderson in 1998, in only 144.1 innings of action. It took Anderson 229.0 innings to reach the mark.
The Claremore native pitched through 6.0 frames in game one, surrendering one run en route to striking out four.
Pitching companion, Aspen Younce, took over in game two to earn her eighth victory of the season. Younce struck out six Southern Nazarene batters in a complete game of work to steer OBU to the finale win.
Offensively, Adi Reese and Shelby Warden paved the way today, tallying four hits apiece. Warden posted career-bests in hits (3) and runs scored (2) in game two.
GAME ONE
An early score in the second inning set the opposition in perfect position as it provided the necessary cushion for the inaugural win.
Oklahoma Baptist posted five hits, beginning in the second when Warden singled to right field. After Sammie Greene reached on a fielder's choice, Gwyn Miller followed with a hit, but a ground-out retired the Bison in the frame and left two on base.
OBU registered a hit in the third, courtesy of Adi Reese, and two more in the fifth. Reagan Ford and Reese were responsible for those hits that left three on base in the fifth.
Unfortunately, the Bison couldn't breakthrough as the Crimson Storm took the victory.
GAME TWO
OBU's bats got hot quickly in the finale. Oklahoma Baptist erupted for seven runs in the opening frame, started by a Jocee Sparks two-run shot over left field.
Then, Gwyn Miller doubled to right field to send Shelby Warden across home plate for a 3-0 Bison advantage. Next, freshman Sammie Greene's single plated two before Adi Reese wrapped up the fireworks with a double for a 7-0 lead.
Southern Nazarene countered with three runs in the second before Warden sent Samantha Campos home for OBU's eighth score of the evening.
After one scoreless inning, the Crimson Storm crossed the plate again in the fourth to draw the tally 8-4.
At the bottom of that frame, Shelby Warden charted the Bison's final run, scoring off a throwing error that was meant to get Sammie Greene out at first base.
SNU squeezed out one run at the top of the seventh, but Younce and company were able to cement tonight's victory with a fly-out to shortstop.
Sparks recorded her ninth home run of the season while four registered at least two hits. Reese, Sparks, and Greene were responsible for two RBIs apiece, while Miller and Warden garnered one.
Oklahoma Baptist moves to 22-18 overall and 10-11 in conference play, with another GAC series coming up this weekend. The Bison will travel to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State in a three-game series, starting on Friday at 5 p.m.
