March 20, 2011
ARKADELPHIA- Ouachita Baptist finished off a four-game sweep to begin Gulf South Conference play, sweeping Delta State with 6-4 and 4-2 victories on Sunday at Sully Anderson Field.
Ouachita (9-10, 4-0 GSC West) used a pair of home runs from seniors Sarah Bell and Kristen Rigsbee in Game 3, while using timely hitting and a strong pitching performance from freshman Abbi Frakes in Game 4 against the Lady Statesmen (9-15, 1-7 GSC West).
Delta State started Game 3 with a run in the first inning, before Ouachita answered back with six runs in the next three innings. A double from sophomore Bailey Sanders drove in Bell to tie the game in the fourth inning, 1-1.
Freshman Rebekah Dindak followed with an RBI double to left center field, as the Lady Tigers took a 2-1 lead. Bell then emphatically slammed a Brittany Gonzales pitch over the left field wall, homering for a two-run shot that scored sophomore Megan Askew and gave Ouachita a 4-1 lead. One batter latter, Rigsbee joined in on the fun, homering and giving the Lady Tigers back-to-back shots for a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning.
Askew added an RBI on a fielder’s choice that scored Dindak for a 6-1 lead. Delta State made things interesting, scoring three runs in the seventh inning, and placing the game-tying runner on base before the Lady Tigers closed out the game to win, 6-4.
Errors were a major part of the comeback, as Ouachita recorded three errors in the final inning alone. But with a mix of resiliency and focus, the Lady Tigers made it out of the final inning to secure the series victory. Rigsbee (3-5) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on six hits. The Frisco native struck out six and finished 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate. Bell added a 1-for-2 day at the plate with two RBIs and two runs.
Junior Alexis Johns, Sanders, freshman Teresa Mursuli, Dindak and freshman Rahn House each provided base hits, as well. Frakes came in to close out the game with 2/3 innings on the mound, while striking out two. In Game 4, Ouachita again gave up runs in the opening inning, as Delta State scored a pair of runs on three hits.
The Lady Tigers tied the game at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the third, when freshman Parrish Reed reached on an error, then scored after Askew reached on a single to the right side. Both scored as result of a throwing error by the Lady Statesmen. Sanders connected on a single to shortstop, then came around to score on an RBI single from junior Sara Strassemeyer to give Ouachita the lead at 3-2.
In the fifth inning, Askew reached third on an error by the center fielder, then scored on an RBI single up the middle from Rigsbee to set the final margin at 4-2.
After Frakes gave up two earned runs and three hits in the opening inning of action, the freshman from Plano, Texas gave up just three hits and didn’t allow a run for the next six innings of play. Frakes (2-3) went seven innings for the complete game victory, striking out seven in the process.
At the plate, Rigsbee finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Askew, Johns, Sanders, Mursuli and Strassemeyer each recorded a hit to give Ouachita seven team hits in the game.
The series sweep thrusts Ouachita to the top of the GSC West Division race, with many games left in conference action.
Ouachita will travel to Memphis, Tenn. to face Christian Brothers in GSC action on March 26 at 3 p.m.
