Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
LAWTON, Okla. – The Cameron Aggies (21-19-1, 5-4 LSC North) softball team split a pair of games today at Cameron Field with NAIA member Southern Nazerene in nonconference action.
The Aggies powered out three homeruns on 12 hits in the opener but were unable to come up with the victory after rallying in the seventh to a 7-5 decision.
The tables turned in the nightcap as the Aggies plated the winning run in walkoff fashion as Meca Chambers ripped a single through the left side to bring in Cherly Raesz for the 4-3 victory.
In the opener, the Crimson Storm tacked up a pair of runs in the early going off Aggie starter Anna Hudson with a roundtripper to center field.
Up 2-0, the visitors plated a run in the fourth and three in the fifth, by way of two hits and an error, to build a 6-0 lead.
The Cameron rally got underway in the bottom of the sixth as Amanda Karth recorded her third home run this season, a two-run shot just inside the left field pole to make it 6-2.
The Crimson Storm added one more in the seventh and the Aggies made a push in the bottom half, a three-run rally including a Drew Wright homer to center field, but it was all they would manage.
Hudson was tagged with the loss after working 4.2 innings and surrendering eight hits and six runs (four earned). Kelsy Hebert also worked the final 2.1 innings, scattering three hits and allowing one run in relief.
The Aggies pounded out 12 hits but committed a pair of costly errors as the Crimson Storm capitalized with 11 hits and one error.
It was a pitcher’s duel in game two as CU’s Carrie Harvey and SNU’s Kaci Crawford threw shutout softball through three innings.
SNU again got the scoring going with three runs in the fourth by way of a Kara Crawford homer to left field that just barely escaped the grasp of CU’s Kelly Lentz.
The Aggies started their comeback in the bottom half of the frame as Karth mashed out her second homer of the day, a single shot to center field.
In the fifth, Karth got her second RBI of the game by way of a sacrifice fly in a bases loaded situation to drive in the second run of the game. After reloading the bases, Chambers drew a 3-2 walk to bring in the tying run.
In the seventh with the game knotted at 3-all, Karth again reached by way of an error. Head Coach Beth Watson elected to bring in Raesz to pinch run for Karth from third, and it proved to be the call of the game.
Shelby Meadows managed to lay down a perfect bunt to push Raesz over to second but the throw forced Daphne Stewart to lay out for the ball into the dirt. Heads up base running by Raesz allowed her to reach third on the play with only one out before Chambers’ decisive slicer to end the game.
“We obviously would’ve liked to get the first one with the way we hit, but I’m very excited at the way our team battled back to take the second one,” said Watson. “I was shocked to see (Raesz) coming around on the bunt but she’s an experienced player and is in for those sorts of situations.”
The Aggies return to the diamond on April 16 when they travel to Durant to take on LSC foe Southeastern Oklahoma in a three-game conference series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
