ARKADELPHIA – A nine-run sixth inning sealed the deal as the Ouachita Baptist University softball team came back and enforced the mercy rule, taking down Southern Nazarene 12-4 in six innings Sunday afternoon at Sully Anderson Field.
The third and final game of the weekend GAC series saw both teams put up zeroes for the first inning of play.
Hope Waid did lead off the bottom of the first with a single, but after a stole base, was left stranded on second. The Crimson Storm struck first, plating two runs in the top of the second inning. But this time, the Tigers were quick to respond, answering back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.
Maggi Huddleston led off the bottom of the second with a double to the left center gap.
Madyson Shoebottom then reached first on an error by SNU's pitcher, this error allowed Huddleston to score, making it a 2-1 ballgame. After
Shelby Smith walked and
Hope Waid was hit by a pitch, the bases loaded with two outs. Shoebottom then came home on a wild pitch to tie the game at two runs each.
The Tigers set the Storm down in order in the top half of the third inning, and a solo home run from
Erin Williams gave Ouachita its first lead of the weekend; going up 3-2 after William's ninth homer of the season. Southern Nazarene tied things up at three in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly. Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth inning, keeping the game tied. SNU broke the tie in the top of the sixth, taking a 4-3 lead and seeming to have all the momentum in its favor. Then, the bottom of the sixth happened.
The Tiger offense roared to life, stringing together clutch hits and taking advantage of mental errors by the Storm to post nine runs in the frame.
Erin Williams started it all off with a leadoff triple down the right field line. Then Shoebottom reached first on a single due to the catcher trying to keep Williams at third.
Callie Jourdan followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Williams and tie the game up at 4-4 with one out. This prompted the first pitching change of the inning.
After a stolen base, it was runners on second and third with one out.
Jessalyn Ahrens singled to the catcher, who again held the ball at the plate to prevent a run, but allowed the bases to fill up in doing so.
Shelby Smith singled through the left side to score the pinch runner
Mackenzie Amaya and give the Tigers the lead back 5-4. With the bases still loaded,
Hope Waid was hit for the second time in the game to bring in
Emma McCorkle, giving the Tigers a 6-4 lead with the bases still loaded and only one out.
Ahrens then scored on a wild pitch to give the Tigers a three-run lead.
Heather Brown followed with a two RBI double to score Smith and Waid to put the Tigers up 9-4. This brought on the second pitching change of the inning.
Katelyn Provence reached on an error that allowed the pinch runner
Kyndall Fomby-Bell to come home and make it 10-4 Tigers. A sacrifice fly from Huddleston scored Provence to put the Tigers up by seven runs, one away from the mercy rule.
Madyson Shoebottom ended the game with a single to left field that was able to score
Erin Williams from second, putting the Tigers up by eight runs, enforcing the mercy rule and giving the Tigers a 12-4 victory over Southern Nazarene.
This was the second time this season that Shoebottom has called game and produced the walk-off hit for a mercy rule ending as she did so against East Central with a home run in March.
- Erin Williams went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, an RBI, a home run and a triple. Williams' home run was her ninth of the season, equaling last year's team total of home runs for Ouachta.
- Madyson Shoebottom went 2-for-4 with two RBI, including the game ending RBI single and a run scored.
- Six other Tigers recorded hits in the game, with each of the six recording either an RBI, a run, or both.
- Hannah Hunter earned her first win of the season in the circle, pitching the full six innings and only allowing three earned runs in the win.
The 12 runs scored in today's game were the most by the Tigers since scoring 15 against Union on February 15. The 11 hits were the most since recording 14 against Arkansas Tech on March 11.
The Tigers will look to keep this momentum going as they host the Mustangs of Central Baptist College in the final non-conference games of the year in a double header at Sully Anderson Field set for Tuesday, April 25.
