GOODWELL, Okla. – Regan Martin continues to ascend the Mid-America Christian University single season wins list. The freshman from Sheridan, Arkansas picked up her 11th win, becoming just the sixth pitcher in MACU history to reach the 11 win plateau, and that helped MACU pick up a split on the first day of a weekend trip to Oklahoma Panhandle State University.
MACU (33-17, 14-14 SAC) got a stellar performance from Martin in game one of Friday's double-header at OPSU (20-29, 7-19 SAC), as MACU took a 7-1 win in the series opener before settling for a split with a 19-5 defeat in game two.
Hannah Salmon and Alanna Leisy each picked up RBI doubles in the top of the first inning, and that proved to be enough for Martin. Martin (11-5) scattered eight hits and allowed only one unearned run in the complete game victory. She walked three and struck out one in the win.
With MACU leading 2-1 in the top of the fourth, Salmon singled home two more runs to push the Lady Evangels' lead to 4-1, and in the seventh, MACU plated three more to put the game away. Leisy and Jessica Johnson each drove in a run and scored another in the seventh, as MACU picked up the win, 7-1.
Julia Ibarra (11-11) took the loss for OPSU, as she yielded seven runs – four earned – on 11 hits, three walks and three strikeouts in seven innings.
Salmon, Leisy, and Amber O'Bryant had two hits apiece in the contest, and Hanna Harris added a double that ignited the three run rally in the seventh.
Game two started well for MACU, as the Lady Evangels plated five runs in the top of the first. Ribbin Anderson and Kortney Brown led off the game with back-to-back singles, and Salmon was hit by a pitch to load the bases. One out later, Leisy cleared the bags with a two-bagger to left center, and Stella Millican singled her home two batters later. The final run came on a crazy play on which Larissa Tate struck out, but Jessica Johnson was credited with a steal of home, and after a half inning, MACU held a 5-0 lead.
The lead was short lived, however, as MACU was unable to keep the OPSU offense at bay. The Aggies tallied six runs – three of which were unearned – in the bottom of the first frame, and they added a single run in the second. OPSU broke the game open in the third, plating 11 runs on 12 hits to take an 18-5 lead, and a solo homer from Jaylinn Reyes to lead off the bottom of the fourth capped the scoring as MACU fell in the second game 19-5 in five innings.
Courtney Anderson (5-6) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight hits, one walk, and one strikeout in an inning and two-thirds. Lindsay Jacobs (5-11) settled into a groove after the rough first frame, and she earned the win, allowing only two hits in the final four innings to the Lady Evangels.
The teams will conclude their four game weekend series on Saturday with a double-header slated to begin at Noon.
