Southern Nazarene Box
Arkansas-Monticello Box

SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No. 4 Angelo State softball team dropped the first game of the Southeast Regional Invitational to Southern Nazarene, 6-2, before rebounding with a 6-5 win over Arkansas Monticello in Durant, Okla., on Friday.
 
“We were fortunate to get a split today,” head coach Travis Scott said after the games. “For whatever reason we did not play with the same intensity we did last week.”
 
After the first loss of the season the Rambelles (6-1) faced Arkansas-Monticello (4-1) and got off to a fast start. Four runs would cross as Lauren Smith, Maddy McGarity, Kacie Easley and Carly Peters would all score in the first.
 
Easley plated Smith and McGarity on a single while Peters hit a single to score Easley. Ambra Hill drove in Peters from third on a two-out double.
 
Arkansas-Monticello would respond with two runs off of ASU starter Sandra Serna to make it 4-2 after the first inning. The Blossoms scored two in the third off a single from Jennie Johnson to tie the game at four.
 
The Rambelles would answer in the top of the fourth with two runs. Peters drew a walk and Hill recorded her second hit of the game. Amanda Wilhelm hit a sacrifice fly to advance both runners to second and third. Smith hit a two-out two-run RBI single to make it 6-4 in favor of the Rambelles.
 
Hannah Pendley of the Blossoms would score on a double by Maggie Sands but Serna would hold Arkansas-Monticello scoreless through three innings.
 
Serna would get her fourth win of the season after striking out six and only giving up two walks.
 
The first game of the day against Southern Nazarene (1-0) started with three unearned runs in the first inning. ASU committed four errors with two coming in the first inning alone.
 
“We had pitchers getting ground balls and we played horrible infield defense,” Scott said. “We will have to correct our infield defense.”
 
Hill reached on a single and would later score on a Rachel Moore single to cut the lead to 3-1 after two innings. The only other run the Rambelles would get was after April Brashears walked. Pinch runner Luz'Ce Baca would score on an error by the second baseman.
 
SNU would score two runs in the fifth with a home run by Amy Madden and Kaylee Allen added a solo shot in the sixth to five the Crimson Storm the 6-2 win.
 
McKay was credited with the loss after pitching five innings and giving up three earned runs.
 
“We are 6-1 but we have to continue to get better and hopefully tomorrow we can correct things and help our pitchers out,” Scott said. “If we do that we will be in good shape.”
 
The Rambelles will return to action tomorrow at 12 p.m. with a game versus Henderson State and follow it up at 2 p.m. with Southeastern Oklahoma State.