TROUTVILLE, Va. ? The Mid-America Christian University softball team gave themselves chances to win their quarterfinal game against Warner University (Fla.) in the NCCAA World Series quarterfinal round on Thursday afternoon. For the second day in a row, the Lady Evangels out-hit the Royals, but for the second day in a row, unearned runs played a key role in the outcome.
MACU (39-23) got a two-out RBI single from Kortney Brown that plated two runs to tie the game at 3-3, but Warner (37-17) kept the game tied into extra innings, and the Royals won on a wild pitch in the eighth inning, 4-3.
Freshman hurler Regan Martin retired 10 of the first 12 hitters she faced, and she did not allow a hit until Sara Bruno singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Lady Evangels had given her the lead in the top of the fourth on a two-out RBI knock from Jessica Johnson, and Martin took that lead into the bottom of the fifth.
In the fifth inning, Warner took advantage of a two-out error to tie the game at 1-1. The Royals added two more unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth, after another error from MACU extended the inning, and the Royals took a 3-1 lead to the seventh.
Jessica Johnson appeared to lead off the inning with a home run, and after she circled the bases and touched the plate, the Royals' head coach Katie Clemente came out to argue that the ball had gone through the fence instead of over it. The umpires conferred and overturned the original call of a home run, awarding Johnson a leadoff double instead. The Lady Evangels put runners at second and third with two outs in the inning, when Brown came up and singled to left, driving in fellow senior Larissa Tate. On the play, Warner left fielder Megan Hammett misplayed the ball as well, allowing Amber O'Bryant to score the tying run from second base, and the game proceeded to extra innings.
MACU threatened in the top of the eighth frame, when Larie Amos, Hannah Salmon, and Alanna Leisy singled consecutively to load the bases with nobody out. Warner's Sylvia Welsh, however, was able to induce a fly out from Johnson to shallow right field, a strikeout from Tate, and a pop out from Jessica Holt to escape the jam, and in the bottom of the frame, the Royals capitalized.
Brittany Winget singled with one out in the inning, and Kayla Bruno followed with a double to right-center to put runners at second and third with one away. The MACU coaching staff made the decision to issue an intentional walk to Hammett, but in the process, one of the intentional balls went wide of its target to the backstop, and Winget came home with the winning run to claim the win for Warner, 4-3.
Martin (14-9) finished an outstanding freshman season with another excellent performance in the circle. She allowed only one earned run in seven and one-third innings of work, and she scattered eight hits and two walks in taking the tough luck loss. Welsh (18-6) got the win, allowing three runs on 11 hits, two walks, and six strikeouts in eight frames.
Johnson was 3-for-4 in the game with a double and an RBI, Amos was 2-for-4, and Salmon was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.
The loss ends a record setting season for MACU softball. The Lady Evangels set or tied 12 single season individual or team records, including team wins (39), hits (Salmon, 79), Stolen Bases (Ribbin Anderson, 25-25), and Earned Run Average ? both individual (Amos, 2.16) and Team (3.07). MACU also had three pitchers combine to throw five no-hitters during the campaign, including a perfect game for Martin ? one of her record-tying five shutouts ? in the second game of a double-header against Ecclesia College on March 16.
