OKLAHOMA CITY – In the first 10 years of Mid-America Christian University softball at the NAIA level, the Lady Evangels recorded one no-hitter. In the last 34 days, the Lady Evangels have thrown three.
Regan Martin threw her second no-hitter in an 8-day span on Saturday afternoon as MACU (20-6, 6-4 SAC) swept Central Christian in the third and fourth games of a weekend series. The Lady Evangels won game one in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion, 4-3 on a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh, and Martin's no-hitter led to a 2-0 win in game two.
Game one remained scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning when MACU broke through. Larie Amos doubled with one out, and Brianna Glass pinch ran for her. Glass then scored on an error to give MACU the 1-0 lead. In the sixth frame, Central Christian got RBI hits from Kasi Kraus and Gianca Holmes that plated three runs, and suddenly, the Tigers were in position to take the victory.
In the bottom of the seventh, MACU still trailed 3-1 with two outs when Ribbin Anderson singled to short and Amber O'Bryant walked to put the tying runs on base. Hannah Salmon followed with a double down the right field line that scored both Anderson and O'Bryant to tie the game at 3-3. Amos then followed with an RBI base knock to center that scored Salmon to give MACU a 4-3 walk-off win.
Courtney Anderson (4-3) allowed three earned runs on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in the complete game victory. Kraus (3-10) lost her second game of the series, allowing four runs, three earned, on nine hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings.
Amos was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Salmon had a pair of doubles and two RBIs in four trips, and Ribbin Anderson and Courtney Hickman each singled twice in the game.
In game two, MACU gave the ball to Regan Martin, and she was dominant. Martin struck out four in the first three innings of the game, but Cheyann Sales matched her zero for zero on the scoreboard. Martin notched four more strikeouts in the fourth and fifth frames, but it took MACU until the bottom of the sixth to get on the board.
Fittingly, it was Martin who started the rally by drawing a leadoff walk, and Jessica Holt pinch ran for her. Amos singled with one out, and with two outs in the inning, Alanna Leisy belted a double to left center that scored both Holt and Amos to give Martin a 2-0 lead.
That was all that Martin needed as she induced three groundouts back to herself, and Martin completed the no-hitter with a 2-0 win.
Martin (6-1) walked three and struck out eight in the complete game shutout. Sales (0-5) allowed two earned runs on only five hits herself, but she walked three and did not strike out a batter.
Amos singled and doubled in the game, and Leisy added the only other extra base hit in the game. Ribbin Anderson and Amber O'Bryant also singled in the contest.
MACU will continue their Sooner Athletic Conference schedule on Tuesday when they head to Bethany, Oklahoma for a mid-week twin-bill against the Southwestern Christian University Eagles (8-16, 3-7 SAC). First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
