SALEM, Va. – Southeastern Oklahoma State erupted for three runs in the fourth and five in the six to rally past Armstrong Atlantic on Saturday at the Division II Softball Championship in Salem, Va., 9-3.
Savage Storm right fielder Laramie Beal led her team’s 11-hit offensive outburst by going 2-for-2 with a HR and three RBIs, designated player Courtney Riddle was also 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs, left fielder Arianna Jones was 1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI and both third baseman Lacie Cook and first baseman Laura Renneker each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The Pirates managed just four total hits during the elimination contest with NFCA All-American shortstop Alexis Mercer posting a 1-for-2 effort with a HR and first baseman Hannah Reppert contributing a 2-for-3 performance with a HR.
Mindy McElroy (29-11) picked up the win in the circle for SEOSU in relief, firing four innings of two-hit ball while allowing one earned run with a walk and a strikeout. Ollivia McLemore was tagged with the loss, dropping to 25-8 after permitting six earned runs on eight hits with a walk and two K’s over six frames.
After Armstrong Atlantic left a runner in scoring position in the top of the first, Southeastern Oklahoma State leadoff hitter Jessica Simmons picked up where she left off earlier on Saturday by opening the bottom half with a single through the left side. The speedster quickly swiped second and moved to third on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Cook. With one down center fielder Sydney Kramer joined her teammate on the base paths by drawing a walk off McLemore. Beal ripped a shot to left center that was tracked down, but it proved plenty deep enough to plate Simmons from third with the contest’s initial tally.
After just missing a HR on a foul drive down the left field line opening the second, Reppert hit the very next pitch the other way, blasting a HR to right to tie the match-up at 1-1.
Mercer gave the Pirates a one-run lead in the top of the third with a no doubt blast to left center off SEOSU hurler Shayna Milam for her 26th HR of the 2014 campaign.
AASU scored for the third consecutive inning with a tally in the fourth as catcher Haley Ellis cashed in Reppert on a line drive single off the wall in center to make it 3-1.
Southeastern Oklahoma State’s offense got a major assault underway in the bottom of the fourth against McLemore. Beal started it off with a one-out single and soon advanced to third on a double into the left center gap. That set the stage for Riddle who delivered the big blow, a two-RBI base knock up the middle that deadlocked the score at 3-3. Jones immediately followed with a triple to right center on the very next pitch, plating Riddle for a two-run advantage. A rundown between third and home ended the inning with no further damage, but not before the Savage Storm had re-taken the lead.
Trying to be aggressive in pursuit an insurance run during the bottom of the fifth, Simmons attempted to score from second on a sacrifice bunt/throw to first, but was thrown out easily at the plate to end the frame still up by one.
Plenty of insurance eventually arrived an inning later as Beal absolutely crushed a two-run shot to right allowing Southeastern Oklahoma State to nab a 6-3 lead. After Tori Bates entered in relief, Strawn walked and Riddle doubled to center, putting two in scoring position with still no one retired. Jones hit a ball off the end of the bat out in front of the plate. The throw to first was wide for an error as Strawn scored SEOSU’s seventh run. Renneker followed with an RBI single to left as the advantage expanded to five at 8-3. After Armstrong finally recorded a pair of outs in the frame, Cook singled to left making it a six-tally lead.
A massive rally wouldn’t materialize in the top of the seventh as Armstrong went down one-two-three as Southeastern Oklahoma State secured the elimination win.
