MAGNOLIA- After splitting the first pair of games, Ouachita Baptist swept Southern Arkansas on Day 2, winning Game 3, 4-1, while putting together some late-inning heroics with three runs in the ninth inning to win Game 4, 5-2. With the pair of victories on Friday, Ouachita Baptist takes a 3-1 Gulf South Conference series victory over Southern Arkansas.
Ouachita (31-15, 10-10 GSC West) rode the strong arm of junior Kristen Rigsbee (16-5) along with a two-run home run to defeat Southern Arkansas (9-21, 5-10 GSC West) in Game 3. The Lady Tigers used an RBI single from Rigsbee and two-run single from senior Haley Chambers to record three runs in the ninth to overcome a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation.
In Game 3, Southern Arkansas jumped out on top in the first inning on a passed ball to lead 1-0, but Ouachita Baptist answered back with three runs in the third and never looked back. After a sacrifice RBI from junior Sarah Bell tied the game at 1-1, Rigsbee smashed her 13th home run of the season to give the Lady Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Bell answered back with another sacrifice RBI in the fifth, scoring freshman Megan Askew to set the final score at 4-1.
Rigsbee (16-5) went the distance for Ouachita, going seven innings without giving up an earned run and allowing three hits. The junior struck out four and allowed one walk.
At the plate for Ouachita, Askew finished at 2-for-3, while Bell contributed a 1-for-2 afternoon with 2 RBI.
In Game 4, Southern Arkansas scored a solo run in the third to take a 1-0 lead, while Ouachita Baptist would answer back with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 2-1 lead. In the fifth, junior Sarah Bell recorded a sacrifice RBI, scoring freshman Megan Askew to tie the game at 1-1. After a triple from senior Korrine Cook in the sixth, junior Whitley Hoppe followed with an RBI single to score Cook, giving Ouachita a 2-1 lead.
A leadoff home run from Southern Arkansas in the bottom of the seventh would tie the game at 2-2, but the Lady Tigers would hold off a late run, sending the game into extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Ouachita Baptist began the ninth inning with singles from Askew and sophomore Jana Deen with one out. Rigsbee then followed with an RBI single, scoring Askew to take a 3-2 lead. Senior Haley Chambers then finished up the scoring with a two-run single, scoring Rigsbee and Bell to set the final score at 5-2 after Ouachita held Southern Arkansas in the bottom half of the ninth.
On the mound for Ouachita, junior Sara Hanson went 6 1/3 innings for the no-decision, allowing two earned runs on six hits, while sophomore Taylor Austin (1-0) took the victory in relief, going 2 2/3 innings and allowing no earned runs and no hits.
At the plate for the Lady Tigers, Cook finished at 3-for-4, while Hoppe went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI.
The Lady Tigers will next travel to the GSC Crossover in Huntsville, Alabama on Thursday to take part in a six-game matchup with GSC East Schools beginning with a matchup with West Florida on Thursday.
