OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University softball team has played the Southwestern Assemblies of God University Lady Lions five times this season, and on Thursday night, the teams played a one-run game for the fourth time in 2018.
The Lady Evangels are a perfect 4-0 in those 1-run contests.
MACU (37-18) needed only two runs to take the win from SAGU (29-24-1) as Regan Martin moved into second place by herself on the MACU single season wins list as a pitcher with a 2-1 victory in the first game of the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament in the Oklahoma City pool.
SAGU broke the ice in the top of the second inning when Kristin Stringer lofted a high fly ball to right-center that sailed over the wall for her third home run of the season to give SAGU the early lead. MACU threatened in both the second and the third, but both times the Lady Evangels were turned away and the Lady Lions took the 1-0 lead into the fourth frame.
Hanna Harris led off the inning with a single to left-center, and pinch runner Shelby Hicks moved up to second on an error from Kayla Milstead with Jessica Johnson at the plate. Johnson belted a 2-1 pitch over the head of center fielder Destinee Vindiola that plated Hicks, and Stella Millican followed with a single that put runners at the corners with only one away. Alexis Franks pinch ran at first base and she took off for second base on the first pitch to Courtney Hickman, and Milstead threw wildly to third, allowing Johnson to score and give MACU the lead 2-1.
That proved to be all that Martin (13-6) needed. She threw her 13th complete game of the season, and she retired eight of the last 11 batters she faced in doing so. She allowed one earned run on three hits and three walks with one strikeout. Casey Waterman (10-9) allowed two runs – only one of which was earned – on eight hits and four strikeouts in the loss.
Ribbin Anderson and Kortney Brown were both 2-for-3 with two singles in the game, and Hannah Salmon also added a single in three trips.
MACU will be back on the field on Friday morning for an 11 a.m. tilt with Central Christian (Kan.) College (14-41) in the second game of pool play for both teams. The Tigers lost their SAC tournament opener to Oklahoma City on Thursday night. The final game of pool play will feature MACU and the hosts, NAIA #5 Oklahoma City University Stars (45-7) at 5 p.m. on Friday. The winner of the pool will advance to the SAC Championship game on Saturday afternoon.
