SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The Mid-America Christian University softball team has seen a lot of games affected by the recent wet and cold weather. On Monday afternoon, the Lady Evangels opened the penultimate week of their regular season, hitting the road for a rained-out twin bill at Ecclesia College.
For MACU, the day went exactly as planned.
MACU (27-11) dispatched with Ecclesia (0-16) twice, picking up an 8-0 win in game one and a 9-0 run-rule victory in game two.
The Evangels roared out of the gate in the first game of the day. Ribbin Anderson singled and stole a base to lead off the first frame, Kortney Brown walked, and Hannah Salmon singled to load the bases with nobody out. Larie Amos singled to second base to drive in Anderson, and Hanna Harris followed by breaking the game open. Harris belted her second Grand Slam of the year on a 2-0 count, and suddenly, five batters into the game, MACU led 5-0.
MACU added a run in the top of the fourth on a double steal, one in the fifth on Alanna Leisy's first homer as a Lady Evangel, and one in the seventh on an RBI single from Harris.
That proved to be more than enough for Regan Martin in the circle.
Martin (10-2) scattered four hits in six shutout innings of work, and she struck out 12 without walking a batter. Taylor Bankston struck out two in a clean seventh inning. Ashtyn Rothrock took the loss, allowing eight runs on 10 hits and four walks with only one strikeout.
Harris was 2-for-5 in the game with the homer – her fourth of the season – and five RBIs, and Anderson and Salmon each singled twice and scored two runs.
MACU struck first again in game two, this time on an RBI triple from Caitlin Butler. Ribbin Anderson doubled home two runs in the second frame, Leisy drove in a pair on a two-bagger of her own in the third, and back-to-back doubles from Salmon and Amos in the fourth led to three runs. Butler doubled home another run in the seventh to cap the scoring.
Amos (8-3) allowed one hit and one walk in three innings, and she struck out two in the win. Courtney Anderson pitched the final two frames, giving up two hits and she struck out one. Emily Chadwell took the loss for Ecclesia, as she allowed nine runs on 12 hits and two walks in five innings, and she struck out three.
MACU belted six doubles and a triple in the game. Ribbin Anderson, Butler, Salmon, and Amos all had two hits including a double; Butler added a triple and she and Salmon each scored twice; and Anderson, Salmon, Amos, and Leisy each drove in a pair.
MACU will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon, when they return home for the first of six home games slated for the next five days. The Evangels will welcome the Bacone College Warriors (10-30, 4-18 SAC) to Jack Allen Field for a double-dip at 2 p.m.
