Peter Yazvac
UNK Athletics
Kearney, Neb. – Southern Nazarene junior Maddie Southerland threw a complete game eight hitter and East Central catcher Jami Waston hit a walk-off double to help the Crimson Storm, 7-0, and the Tigers, 3-2, beat Nebraska Kearney Thursday in Oklahoma.
The games are part of the three-day Raising Cane’s Softball Festival in the Oklahoma City Metro area. UNK (3-3) faces Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita (Ark.) Baptist Friday at Deer Creek High School in Edmond.
The Lopers recorded a combined 18 hits today and drew nine walks as well. However, the Blue & Gold left 21 runners on base and had two runners thrown out at home plate in the setback to ECU.
In the early contest at Central Oklahoma, freshman Daniella Morillas (Newcastle, Calif.) shut out East Central (6-4) over the first six innings. However, the Tigers used an infield single, walk, sac bunt, infield error, sac fly and Watson’s two out, two strike double to score three times in its final at bat.
Leadoff hitter and shortstop Mary Chvatal (Wahoo) went 2 for 4 and scored twice, freshman third baseman Giana Galli (Stockton, Calif.) was 2 for 2 with an RBI and junior first baseman Leah Jurgens (Lincoln) finished 2 for 4. Finally, Morillas received a no decision as she worked around three hits and five walks in 103 pitches.
Down the road in Bethany, Okla., Southerland helped the Crimson Storm (5-5) rebound from a 2-0 loss to Fort Hays State by throwing 114 pitches against the Lopers. The junior college transfer worked around four walks and eight singles to keep UNK off the board.
At the plate, SNU scored all its runs over the final four innings. An 11-hit attack was led by right fielder Mikayla Oaks, shortstop and eight-hole hitter Kristen Mullendore and center fielder and nine-hole hitter Maddie Riley. Each went 3 for 3 and combined for five RBI’s and five runs scored.
Galli and junior center fielder Eden McNally (Castle Rock, Colo.) each went 2 for 4 to pace the Lopers.