ARKADELPHIA – It came down to the wire twice, and Ouachita softball stepped up twice to sweep Northwestern Oklahoma State and earn the Tigers' first series win of the season in a Friday afternoon doubleheader at Langston Field.
Game One: Ouachita 6, NWOSU 5
Northwestern Oklahoma State started got game one started with a run in the top of the first, but the Rangers' lead was short lived as Ouachita answered back with two in the bottom of the frame. An RBI fielder's choice from
Erin Williams scored
Lauren Lester and a sacrifice fly from
Jordyn Merrett scored Bailey King to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. NWOSU tied things up in the second inning, but again, Ouachita was ready with three runs in the next half inning.
Maggi Huddleston scored on a wild pitch,
Emma McCorkle came home on an RBI groundout, and Lester scored her second run of the day thanks to a Williams sacrifice fly to push the Tigers' lead out to 5-2.
After two scoreless innings, the Rangers made it a one-run ballgame after plating two in the fifth. An RBI single from Lester in the sixth scored
Maggi Huddleston from second to give Ouachita an extra insurance run that proved to be the deciding factor. NWOSU scored one run in the seventh to cut it to one again, but the Tigers held on to take down the Rangers 6-5 and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Lester put together a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Williams led the team with two RBI in the win and also recorded a triple.
Maggi Huddleston pitched five innings in relief, allowing just three hits and earned the win in the circle.
Game Two: Ouachita 7, NWOSU 6
The second game of the day saw Northwestern get things going with a run in the first for the second time. But this time, it was a slow start for Ouachita. The Rangers tacked on four more runs in the third to take a 5-0 lead. The Tigers got on the board thanks to an RBI triple from
Karley Burrow in the fourth that scored Merrett. NWOSU answered back with one run in the fifth to make the score 6-1.
Remington Adams came home thanks to an error on a ball hit by Merrett to cut the lead to four. Then, the seventh inning happened.
The Tigers held the Rangers scoreless in the top of the inning to keep it a four-run game.
Marli Huddleston hit a one-out single for the first baserunner of the inning.
Riley Gillis worked a walk to put two runners on. Lester singled to load the bases with one out. King picked up an RBI hit by pitch to keep the bases loaded and make the score 6-3.
Erin Williams stepped up and called game on the second pitch of the at-bat, sending the ball over the left center fence for a walk-off grand slam to give the Tigers a 7-6 victory over the Rangers and a 2-0 lead in the series for Ouachita's first series win of the season. The doubleheader sweep also makes for four straight wins for the Tigers; their longest streak of the season.
Williams went 2-for-4 at the plate and tallied four RBI and a run scored off her grand slam. The grand slam was Williams' eighth homer of the season.
Lester also put together a 2-for-4 performance at the plate; her and Williams were the two Tigers to record multiple hits in the win.
Karley Burrow allowed just one run and two hits in 3.2 innings of relief to earn her first win of the season in the circle.
The Tigers will look to keep the momentum going tomorrow for a Senior Day game three and the final game of the season. The Senior Day festivities are set to begin at 11:30 a.m. and the first pitch of game three is set for noon at Langston Field.
