ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita Baptist University softball team fell to the Lady Statesmen of Delta State University by scored of 7-2 and 6-4 in a double header on Tuesday afternoon at Sully Anderson Field.
 
 
Game One: Delta State 7, Ouachita 2
 
The first game of the afternoon started off slow for both teams, as Ouachita and Delta State were held scoreless through the first two innings. Delta State got on the board first, scoring one run in the top of the third inning. DSU added a second run in the top of the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead.
 
The Tigers answered back in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game on a Tiffany Backeberg home run that also scored Kalia Kekahuna-Fernandez to make it 2-2. The Tigers and Okra traded off two defensive innings to keep the game tied at 2-2 heading into the seventh inning. Delta State's offense woke up in the top of the seventh as they plated five runs to take a five lead with the Tigers down to their last three outs. Ouachita could not catch back up and DSU won game one 7-2.
 

• Kalia Kekahuna-Fernandez went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.
• Tiffany Backeberg went 1-for-3 with two RBI, a run scored and a home run, the first of her college career.
• Tuesday Melton pitched the full seven innings and struck out five in the loss.

 
 
Game Two: Delta State 6, Ouachita 4
 
Game two started with both teams posting zeroes in the first inning, but then Delta State scored two runs in both the second and third innings to take a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. The Tigers were held scoreless for the first six innings of the contest. Delta State added another run in the top of the fifth to make the score 5-0 in favor of the Fighting Okra. Ouachita's first hit of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Lauren Lester single. The Tigers had two runners in scoring position but could not bring them in.
After a scoreless sixth inning, DSU added a sixth run in the top of the seventh to take a 6-0 lead with three outs left for the Tigers. Lauren Lester led off with a single, and Backeberg and Riley Gillis both walked to load the bases with no one out. Then, after the next batter got out, Erin Williams crushed one over the center field fence for a grand slam to make it a two-run ballgame. With two outs and Delta leading by two, Callie Jourdan walked, but the game would end on a groundout with DSU winning 6-4 and earning the double header sweep.
 

• Lauren Lester went 2-for-3 at the plate, recording half of Ouachita's hits in the game.
• Erin Williams went 1-for-4 with 4 RBI and a run scored.
• Callie Jourdan walked twice.

 
The Tigers will look to get back on track this weekend as they host the Muleriders of Southern Arkansas University in a three-game GAC series beginning Friday as Sully Anderson Field.
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