OKLAHOMA CITY - As the season winds down, the Mid-America Christian University softball team is starting to heat up. The Evangels were dominant again on Friday afternoon, and they ran their winning streak to eight games to push their record to a season-best 10 games over .500.
MACU (21-11) got dominant pitching performances all day, and the offense did enough in support of the pitchers to sweep Ecclesia College (11-13). The Evangels won game one 2-0, and they completed the sweep with an 8-0 run-rule win in six innings in game two.
Hannah Salmon reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the second inning, and after a sacrifice bunt from Regan Martin and a wild pitch, Brittany Ward laid down a perfect squeeze bunt for a base hit to give MACU a 1-0 lead. Salmon singled in the sixth, and again Martin sacrificed her to second - one of three sacrifice bunts for the sophomore from Sheridan, Arkansas on the day - and Ward doubled to pick up her second RBI of the day and double the MACU lead to 2-0.
That was more than enough support for Martin (10-4). She allowed only two hits and one walk in the shutout win - her fifth of the season - and she tied a season high with nine strikeouts. The loss went to Ashtyn Rothrock (5-1) who pitched well in her own right, allowing only two runs on five hits, but she walked four and struck out four.
Ward had two hits including a double in the game, and she drove in two runs. Salmon scored both runs for MACU, and she, Amber O'Bryant, and Ribbin Dorado each had singles in the game.
In game two, MACU got started right away in the bottom of the first. O'Bryant singled, and Alanna Leisy ripped a double into the left-center field gap to drive her in. After a fly out from Hanna Harris allowed Leisy to move up to third, Salmon walked, and the Evangels executed a double-steal to double their lead at 2-0.
O'Bryant and Leisy started another rally in the third, as the two reached base with one out and Harris doubled them both in to push MACU's advantage to 4-0. The Evangels again executed a double steal later in the inning as Shayla Morris tallied MACU's fifth run before the final out was made.
Hannah Salmon and Michelle Brazil each had RBI hits in the bottom of the fifth, and the Evangels took a 7-0 lead to the bottom of the sixth. With one out in the inning, Caitlin Butler reached base on a wild throw, and she scampered all the way to third on the play representing the game-ending run. Pinch-hitter Adrienne Phillips lifted a fly ball to center field two pitches later, and the throw home was wild, allowing Butler to score and end the game.
McKenzie Smith (8-3) earned the win, throwing five innings and allowing only one hit and three walks while striking out three. Taylor Bankston worked a scoreless inning of relief for MACU, and Emily Chadwell (3-3) took the loss for Ecclesia. Chadwell yielded eight runs - though only five were earned - on eight hits and three walks in five and two-thirds innings.
O'Bryant had a pair of hits and two runs scored, Harris doubled and drove in two runs, and Leisy scored three times. Leisy and Salmon also had doubles in the game, and O'Bryant stole two bases.
MACU will take the weekend off before resuming action on Monday afternoon. The Evangels will host the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Aggies (19-15, 10-12 SAC) for a double-header at 2 p.m.
