OKLAHOMA CITY – Mid-America Christian University's softball team is in the midst of an eight game week as the season winds down towards a conclusion. The Lady Evangels are trying to get caught up after weather has caused several postponements in the past few weeks, and on Tuesday, they concluded their season series with the Bacon College Warriors.
MACU (28-12, 11-9 SAC) dropped game one in heartbreaking fashion, leaving the tying and winning runs on base in the 4-3 Bacone (11-31, 5-19 SAC) win, but in game two, Larie Amos took control from the beginning, and the Lady Evangels blanked the Warriors 6-0 to salvage a split.
Bacone took the lead in game one in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Nia Maxwell reached on an error, and she and Emily Davidson scampered home on a two-RBI double from Analys Gloden to right center to give Bacone the 2-0 lead.
The game took on the feel of a pitchers' duel into the bottom of the fourth frame, when MACU put runners at first and second with one out. Courtney Hickman singled home Shelby Hicks, and Jessica Johnson drew a walk to load the bases with two away. The rally ended on a strikeout of Jessica Holt, and the score remained the same into the seventh.
Maxwell tripled to drive in two insurance runs in the top of the seventh with two outs, but the Lady Evangels did not lay down in the bottom of the frame. With two outs in the inning, Ribbin Anderson singled and Stella Millican drew a walk as a pinch hitter. Hannah Salmon singled to load the bases, and a wild pitch scored Anderson with two down to cut the deficit to 4-2. Amos singled home Kortney Brown to pull MACU within one, but Hanna Harris was called out on a swinging third strike to end the game as Bacone held on for the 4-3 win.
Gilbert Griffin (1-14) earned the victory, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and four walks in six and two-thirds innings. Hannah Smiley (1) earned the save, facing only Harris in the seventh. Regan Martin (10-3) took the tough luck loss, allowing four runs – though only two were earned – on nine hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts in the complete game.
Harris had two singles in the game, and Amos had the Lady Evangels' only RBI.
Game two remained scoreless into the bottom of the third frame, when the Lady Evangels took advantage of a miscue to start a two-out rally. Salmon reached on an error with two down in the inning, and Amos and Harris followed with singles – Harris's an RBI base knock – to give MACU the 1-0 lead. Harris stole second base to put runners at second and third with two away, and Alanna Leisy drove home Amos and Harris with an RBI double to right center to push the Lady Evangels' lead to 3-0.
Amos singled Salmon home in the bottom of the fifth frame, and in the bottom of the sixth, Caitlin Butler singled home Amber O'Bryant to stretch MACU's lead to 5-0. Butler then scored on a wild pitch to cap the scoring as MACU won the game 6-0.
Amos (9-3) scattered five hits and two walks in the complete game shutout, and she notched a pair of strikeouts. Jaycee Forth (4-6) allowed three unearned runs on five hits in two and two-thirds innings to take the loss.
Leisy singled and doubled with two RBIs, and she also drew a walk. Amos singled three times with a run and an RBI, and Salmon singled and doubled in three at bats with two runs scored.
MACU will continue their homestand on Thursday when they welcome in the Rams of Texas Wesleyan University (34-12, 18-4 SAC) for a double header. The first game will start at 2 p.m.
