LANGSTON, Okla - The weather finally started to warm up in central Oklahoma on Thursday, and the Mid-America Christian University softball team hit the road to take advantage of the break in the chill that has enveloped much of the country this spring. The Evangels offense picked up where they left off on Tuesday, but they were unable to hold down Langston University all afternoon, and as a result, the Evangels settled for a split on the road.
MACU (7-3, 4-1 SAC) rallied from an early deficit in game one to take an 11-2 run-rule victory over Langston (6-7, 3-3 SAC), but the Lady Lions rallied to take game two 7-5 on a walk-off home run.
Langston took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame in game one, using a home run and a double to plate the runs, but MACU's Larie Amos answered.
Amos belted a 2-out solo homer in the second to cut the deficit in half, and in the third frame, MACU's offense exploded. Jessica Holt and Ribbin Anderson started the third frame with back-to-back doubles that tied the game, Amber O'Bryant singled to put runners at the corners with still nobody out, and Hannah Salmon singled home Anderson to give MACU the 3-2 lead. Hanna Harris followed with an RBI double that scored O'Bryant, and Salmon came across on a throwing error on the play to put the Evangels up 5-2. Alanna Leisy singled home Harris, and after a pitching change, RBI doubles from Brittany Ward and Caitlin Butler capped the scoring in a 7-run inning that put MACU up 8-2.
In the top of the fourth, Amos capped the scoring, as she launched her second home run of the game to stretch the Evangels' lead to 11-2, which was enough to end the game on the run rule after five innings.
Regan Martin (4-1) picked up the win in the circle, allowing two earned runs on three hits in five innings of work, and she struck out seven without walking a batter. Alyssa Dawson (2-4) took the loss for Langston, as she allowed seven earned runs on seven hits in two innings.
Every MACU starter had at least one hit, and every batter that appeared in the game for the Evangels reached base in the contest. Amos had the only multi-hit game for MACU, posting a 2-for-4 effort with the two homers and four RBIs, and Leisy, Harris, and Amos each scored twice in the game.
Langston took the early lead again in game two, posting three runs in the bottom of the first inning. but MACU trimmed the deficit to one in the top of the third when O'Bryant and Salmon scored on a throwing error. After the Lady Lions added a run in the third to push their lead to 4-2, Anderson singled home Alexis Franks in the top of the fourth, and Anderson later scored on a hit from O'Bryant to tie the game at 4-4.
Anderson tripled home Holt in the top of the sixth to give MACU the 5-4 lead, but Langston answered with a two-out single to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. The top of the seventh went by scoreless, and in the bottom of the inning, Cameron Jenkins hit a one-out, two-run walk-off homer run to give Langston the win, 7-5.
Jasmyn Davis (4-2) earned the win for Langston in the circle, and she allowed five earned runs on 10 hits, two walks, and one strikeout in the complete game. Caitlin Butler (0-1) took the loss, giving up two earned runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning of relief.
MACU will step outside of conference play on Saturday when they head east to Springdale, Arkansas. There, MACU will battle Ecclesia College (6-4) in a double dip which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
