OKLAHOMA CITY – The weather was beautiful at Jack Allen Field on the campus of Mid-America Christian University as the MACU softball team opened their 2018 campaign, and even with the ideal conditions, it was pitching that carried the day for the Lady Evangels.
Freshman Regan Martin fired an 8-inning 1-hitter in the opener, and Courtney Anderson and Larie Amos combined on a 7-hit shutout in the back half of the twin bill, and MACU (2-0) swept away the Tabor College Blue Jays (0-2) with wins of 3-2 and 2-0.
Martin walked the leadoff batter in the top of the first, and the Blue Jays took advantage. Tabor executed a pair of sacrifice bunts, the second of which scored Taylor Kathler to give Tabor the early 1-0 lead. Martin, however, was able to record back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam with only the one run allowed.
The Lady Evangels threatened in the second frame, when MACU loaded the bases with one out in the inning for the bottom two spots in the batting order. But Amber O'Bryant and Jessica Holt struck out swinging, and from there the pitchers really took control.
Martin and Tabor's Madison Byrd combined to retire the next 16 batters in a row, but in the bottom of the fifth, the MACU offense broke through. With one out in the frame, O'Bryant stepped up and laced a double to left-center – the first hit of the game for either team – and she moved up to third on a throwing error. Holt then followed with a sacrifice fly to left-center on the first pitch of her at-bat, and O'Bryant scored to tie the game.
Tabor immediately reclaimed the lead after Kathler led off with a single in the sixth, stole second base, and moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt. She scored with one out in the stanza, when Kerrigan Travens bounced out to short, but again, Martin limited the damage to one run.
In the bottom of the frame, Larissa Tate led off with a single, and she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Hanna Harris. Amos then followed with a resounding double that tied the game at 2-2, but the Lady Evangels were unable to surge in front.
Both teams went in order in the seventh, and in the eighth, Martin turned the momentum in the Lady Evangels' favor. With the international tiebreaker in effect, the Blue Jays started the inning with Sierra Becerra at second base, and Madison Primrose sacrifice her to third with one out. That is when Martin took over again. She struck out Raegan Ternes on three pitches, then after issuing an intentional walk to Kathler, she notched another 3-pitch strikeout – her 10th strikeout of the game – to escape unscathed.
This time, the Evangels took advantage of their chance to take the win. Holt was the MACU runner placed as second base, and leadoff hitter Caitlin Butler dropped down a beautiful bunt for a base hit, and she promptly stole second base. Tate then stepped to the plate, and put down a squeeze bunt that scored Holt to give MACU the 3-2 win.
Martin (1-0) shined in her collegiate debut. The freshman allowed only two earned runs on one hit and two walks – one of which was intentional – while putting 10 strikeouts under her belt. Byrd (0-1) took the loss, but she pitched well too. She yielded two runs – one earned – on only four hits and one walk and six strikeouts.
Game two had a slightly different feel, as there were baserunners to be had on both sides, but the end result was similar.
The game went scoreless into the fourth inning when MACU struck. Holt led off the inning with a single that bounded off the first base bag, and after she stole second base, Hanna Harris drover her home with a single down the left field line to put MACU on top 1-0. Shelby Hicks pinch ran for Harris, and after the Evangels loaded the bases with one out, Hicks scored on a sacrifice fly from Courtney Hickman to double the Lady Evangels lead.
Tabor threatened to get on the board in the top of the fifth, but Anderson was able to wiggle off the hook, thanks to a great defensive play from Holt. With one out and a runner at second, Ariana Landeros singled up the middle, but Holt fielded the ball cleanly and fired a laser to Hannah Salmon to retire Kyndal Kelley trying to score and that proved to be the dagger for the Lady Evangels.
Anderson worked around a leadoff single in the sixth inning, and she gave way to Amos who worked a perfect seventh inning, and MACU took the win 2-0.
Salmon, Ribbin Anderson, Jessica Johnson, and Alanna Leisy each had hits in addition to the hits from Holt and Harris. The Blue Jays picked up seven base knocks, but MACU pitching stranded six Tabor runners in the game.
Anderson (1-0) scattered those seven hits in six innings, and she struck out one without walking a batter. Amos (1) struck out one of the three hitters she faced in earning her first save at MACU. Marlee Baxter (0-1) allowed two runs – only one earned – on six hits and she fanned three Lady Evangels in the loss.
MACU will be back at the ballpark on Tuesday afternoon when they host the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles (0-0) for a twin bill starting at 1 p.m.
