OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University softball team knew they faced a tough challenge on Thursday afternoon with the NAIA #5 Oklahoma City University Stars coming to Jack Allen Field. The Lady Evangels had never beaten the Stars entering play on Thursday, and when the day was over, that was still the case.
MACU (25-11, 10-8 SAC) managed only three hits on the day, and though they played well at times, they took two run-rule losses to OCU (36-5, 21-1 SAC) by scored of 8-0 and 12-0, both in five innings.
Larie Amos started game one, and she kept the game scoreless into the third inning. MACU had a chance to get out of the third, but they were unable to do so, and the Stars took full advantage. OCU plated seven runs, all with two outs in the third inning, chasing Amos from the game and putting the Lady Evangels in a big hole. A double and a single in the fourth added the eighth run to the Stars' lead, and MACU was unable to score in either of their last two at bats, as OCU took game one 8-0.
Georgia Wall (15-3) earned the shutout victory, as she allowed two hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Amos (7-3) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on five hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Amos had one of the Lady Evangels' two hits offensively, with Jessica Johnson picking up the other.
OCU struck first in game two on a long solo homer from Jaci Smith with two outs in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Stars took advantage of two MACU errors in the second inning to stretch the lead to 3-0, and in the third, they broke the game open. The Stars plated four runs on four hits, and they added five in the top of the fifth to take a 12-0 lead.
OCU pitcher Abby Meador took a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth, but Kortney Brown singled on a ground ball to break up the bid as the leadoff batter in the frame. Unfortunately for MACU, the Lady Evangels were unable to do anything further, and the Stars took the 12-0 win.
Meador (8-1) picked up the complete game shutout, and she allowed only one hit and one walk with a dozen strikeouts. Caitlin Butler (1-2) took the loss, as she gave up seven runs – six earned – on eight hits in two and two thirds innings.
The Lady Evangels had four baserunners in the game. In addition to Brown's hit, Ribbin Anderson reached on an error to lead off the game, Amber O'Bryant drew a walk, and Stella Millican was hit by a pitch.
MACU will be back in action on Friday, weather permitting, on the road in Fort Worth Texas. The Lady Evangels will battle the Texas Wesleyan University Rams (29-11, 15-3 SAC) in a twin bill that was rescheduled from last Saturday. First Pitch of the day is slated for 1 p.m.
