OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University split with cross-town foe Southern Nazarene in a 2-3, 9-0 doubleheader Thursday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
The Stars, ranked 11th in NAIA softball, move to 33-10, 15-3 in Sooner Athletic Conference play. The Crimson Storm now sit at 38-11, 15-7 after the two-game split. OCU took the season series from Southern Nazarene three games to one.
OCU's first batter to the plate slammed a solo homerun to begin the action. Lily LaVelle took the third pitch from Jordan Simmons out of the park to put the Stars on top 1-0. LaVelle, a junior from Bridge Creek, Okla., leads the Stars with 16 home runs on the season. OCU put up another run in the first when LeeAnn Lopez hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in base runner Nathalie Timmermans.
The Crimson Storm tied the game after a two-out rally in the sixth. Aubrey Jones and Amy Madden pounded back-to-back solo home runs to even the score at 2-2. The game stayed knotted through the seventh inning. As the extra frame of action began, a wild pitch from LaVelle advanced base runner Katie Turner to third. Katie Hale followed it up with a sacrifice bunt to bring in Turner for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.
The nightcap was cut short after OCU put up six runs in the sixth inning to put a halt to the game. Chelsey Eddy got an RBI single to right field to bring in Lopez to give OCU a 4-0 lead. OCU coach Phil McSpadden called for Kelsey Link to pinch hit after Eddy's rope to right.
Link, a freshman from Palatine, Ill., slammed a three-run homer to left to clear the bases. Link picked up the first dinger of her OCU career on just her 19th at-bat of the season. Two batters later, Timmermans crushed a two-run blast over the left field fence to bring in Tori Joyner and end the game at 9-0.
OCU put up three in the third after back-to-back doubles by Joyner and Timmermans brought in Eddy, Joyner and LaVelle to give the Stars the early lead.
The Stars pitching was stout in the second game as LaVelle and A.J. Woodward combined for the shutout, giving up two hits and striking out seven Crimson Storm batters. LaVelle picked up her 20th win of the season in the contest. Her earned run average sits at a stellar 0.72 in 165.1 innings pitched from the circle.
Eddy ended the night 3-for-5 from the plate with one RBI and two runs scored for the Stars. After going 0-for-4 in the first game, Timmermans rebounding with a 2-for-4 performance, including her 12th home run of the season. Timmermans, a junior from Oldenzaal, Netherlands, leads the Stars with a .446 batting average and .860 slugging percentage.
OCU hosts Oklahoma Baptist in a 2 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
