OBU takes pair from Softball Lions

Bison sweeps SAGU on 22 hits, 3 HR 

Highlights: Lawrence triple, Svochak at SS

SHAWNEE, Oklahoma -- A season of exciting firsts came to an end east of Oklahoma City this afternoon as the Southwestern Assemblies of God University women’s fast-pitch softball team dropped a pair of games against Oklahoma Baptist University.

The Lady Lions finished the season at 2-26 overall, and, at 1-22, were last in the Red River Athletic Conference during their inaugural campaign.

SAGU's two triumphs were a 5-2 win at Hillsdale College (Okla) and a 4-2 at home over Texas College.

OBU, now 21-21, took the first game of the doubleheader by a 10-1 count, then blanked Southwestern 9-0 in the nightcap.

The Lady Bison are 7-13 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, where they are eighth (7-13) in the 10-team all-Oklahoma league. 

The highlight of the day for SAGU was a first game, run-scoring triple by Albreshia Lawrence (Waxahachie, Tx / Waxahachie HS) and a memorable inning of play at shortstop by Kelsea Svochak (Ft. Worth, Tx / Bethesda Christian HS).

Lawrence’s shot down the rightfield line went to the corner, bounding off the fence. It knotted the score at a run apiece.

Svochak (SWO-jack) was in the game at shortstop, capping a season that saw the junior play and record an out at every position on the field.

The last batter of the game hit a hot smash on the ground that she gloved, then threw out to first baseman Shannen Davis (Kremlin, Ok / Kremlin-Hillsdale HS).

Game One Review

SAGU tied the second game, 1-1, after the Bison scored the first run on a walk, two stolen bases and an ill-advised throw.

The lone Lions run of the day came in the top of the second inning. After a strike out, Loni Jimenez (Crystal City, Tx / Crystal City HS) got on base on an error by the second baseman.

After another strike out, freshman Bree Lawrence stroked a shot past the rightfielder. On her horse and with plenty of giddy-up, she bolted into third with an RBI triple. It was her first run batted in of the season, though she was stranded on a fly out to center.

OBU quickly regained the lead at the bottom of the frame when #7 hitter Kenna Self cranked a solo blast on a 2-0 count. The home run cleared the leftfield fence and gave the Bison a 2-1 lead they would not lose.

SAGU threatened in the third. With one out, Kyla Burke (Red Oak, Tx / Red Oak HS) ripped a double to center. It was her second hit of the game. The freshman remained in scoring position as the next two batters struck out looking.

Starting pitcher Lauren Johnson (Waxahachie, Tx / Waxahachie HS) got into a jam in the third. A walk, an error at second and a single to left loaded the bags with Bison with two outs. She got the #5 hitter to fly out to Lawrence to silence the scoring bid.

The Purple Pride’s bid to knot the score on the fourth wasn’t successful. Chelsey Doyle (Seattle, Wash / Shorecrest HS) led off with a walk and advanced to second. But three consecutive batters went down on strikes, as OBU starter Cassidi Henderson (9-8 record) added to her total of nine batters she managed to whiff.

Oklahoma Baptist broke the game open with eight runs in the fourth. The first batter singled, was advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and then stole third and home. With two runners on base, the Bison’s clean-up hitter, Allison Tunnell, did just that. She crushed an 0-1 pitch over the barrier in center for a 6-1 lead.

Three singles, an error at shortstop and a missed cutoff throw allowed three more runs to score. Davis, who came in to pitch midway in the rally, struck out the last two batters to end the 8-run, 8-hit surge.

SAGU’s final at bat, in the fifth, saw their fourth hit, a sharply hit single to left off the bat of Davis.

OBU collected 11 hits and four walks, while SAGU was held to four base hits and one walk.

Game Two Summary

The Bison wasted little time, scoring seven times in the first. Back-to-back bunt singles began the rally, and were followed by four singles, a batter who was hit by a pitch and a pair of throwing errors at shortstop.

A two-run HR in the second finished the scoring, as the Bison, who are last in their conference in scoring, broke out of a slump with consecutive 11-hit games during the twinbill.

“They sure hit the ball real well today,” said Lions head coach Tim Grant. “Langston University was the hardest hitting team we faced all season. But OBU hit it well throughout their line-up.”

The Bison’s pitcher, Noelle McDowell (8-10 record), hurled a masterful game. She held the Lady Lions to an infield hit to first base by Burke. She was immediately doubled-up on a grounder to second by Svochak.

Burke, a product of nearby Red Oak High School, had three of SAGU's five hits during the two games.

McDowell struck out seven (five swinging), didn’t issue a walk, and did not permit the ball to ever leave the infield. She got the other eight outs on a foul pop-up and six ground balls – one that was converted into a twin-killing.

In the final inning (5th), Jimenez reached base on an error by the first baseman. She was SAGU’s only runner left on base as McDowell struck out the side.

One of the Lions’ silver-lining performers was Davis. She came into pitch the final two and two-thirds of an inning, yielding three hits and no runs during an efficient 28-pitch effort.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.