OKLAHOMA CITY - The Mid-America Christian University softball team opened a weekend series with Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Friday afternoon, playing the first two of a four-game set at Jack Allen Field. The Evangels generated enough base runners in the games to give themselves a chance to win each contest, but walks and a pair of untimely errors proved too much to overcome.
MACU (13-9, 8-7 SAC) led game one through five innings, and they had the tying run in scoring position twice in game two, but MACU was unable to get the runs home, and OPSU (17-13, 8-10 SAC) took both games. The Aggies won game one 5-3, and they took the back half of the twin bill 4-2.
OPSU took advantage of leadoff walks in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead, but in the bottom of the fourth, MACU surged in front. The inning turned on an illegal pitch call that extended an at bat for Hannah Salmon, who ended up drawing a walk to leadoff the frame. Hanna Harris followed with a free pass to put runners at first and second, and after Shayla Morris pinch ran for Harris, Alanna Leisy (1) blasted a long 3-run homer down the left field line to put MACU on top 3-2. The Evangels threatened for more in the frame, loading the bases again with one out in the inning, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat, and the Evangels clung to the one run lead.
The Evangels held the lead into the top of the sixth inning, when with one out the Aggies loaded the bases. Regan Martin notched a strikeout to give the Evangels a chance to escape with the lead, but Martin followed that with a walk that forced in a run to tie the game. OPSU took advantage of a single and an error in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-3 lead, and though MACU got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, they were unable to score the run, and the Aggies hung on to take game one, 5-3.
Kaylor Battiest (6-6) earned the complete game win, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and two walks, but she struck out 12 in the game. Martin (6-4) gave up five runs - four earned - on seven hits, but Martin walked five and struck out only four in the loss.
Leisy was 2-for-3 with the homer and three RBIs, and Caitlin Butler notched a pair of bunt singles in the contest.
Game two proceeded into the fourth inning scoreless, when OPSU opened the scoring with two runs. Brittany Ward doubled home Morris in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit in half at 2-1, but the Evangels were unable to get her home and the Evangels continued to trail by one.
The Aggies added two insurance runs in the top of the sixth, both scoring with two outs and without the benefit of a hit, and heading to the bottom of the seventh, MACU trailed 4-1.
The first two Evangels went quietly in the bottom of the seventh, but Caitlin Butler singled to left field to keep the game alive. Brooke Hendrickson followed by drawing a walk, and Amber O'Bryant singled to right to drive in Butler and put the tyinr run aboard. After a pitching change, Salmon was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Harris flared a ball shallow down the left field line, but OPSU's Chrislyn Dovers made a nice running catch to take away the hit and two RBIs, and the Aggies took the win, 4-2.
The win went to Lindsay Jacobs (6-5), who threw six and two-thirds innings and gave up only two earned runs on five hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. McKenzie Smith (6-2) was saddled with the loss, as she gave up four runs - three earned - on seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Battiest (5) got the final out and earned the save.
The teams will wrap up their weekend series on Saturday with a double-header scheduled for noon.
